


A Different Professor

by AsphodelWolf15



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Animagus, Blood and Gore, Dismemberment, Drama, F/M, Family Feels, Harry Potter Has a Pet Snake, Humor, Minor Character Death, Parselmouth Harry Potter, Plot Twists, Sirius Black Free from Azkaban, The Marauder's Map, The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Triwizard Tournament, Werewolf Culture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:02:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 43
Words: 400,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27626497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsphodelWolf15/pseuds/AsphodelWolf15
Summary: "Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever." Ginny has been taken to the Chamber of Secrets and Harry may know where that is. How would things have turned out if he had gone to a Different Professor?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter, Narcissa Black Malfoy/Severus Snape, Neville Longbottom & Harry Potter, Remus Lupin/Original Female Character(s), Sirius Black & Harry Potter
Comments: 60
Kudos: 288





	1. Which Professor?

**Author's Note:**

> This is cross posted on several sights under the same name. It is still in progress but 40 chapters are posted so far on another sight. This story should have less than 50 chapters. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Thank you Draconin for your assistance in editing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First few chapters are very early in my writing. They were written about five years before I started posting on FFN, they were written about ten or twelve years ago. While they aren't bad, they are not a great representation of my writing (in my opinion). I hope you will stick around long enough to see what I can really do with the written word.

**Gryffindor Common Room**

"You want to what?" asked Harry, staring at his friend with wide eyes.

Ron's devastated expression did not change with Harry's question; he just continued to stare at his hands, worried about his sister. "We should tell Lockhart what we know; he might be able to use it to save Ginny."

Harry shook his head in disbelief, "Let me get this straight, you want to go tell Lockhart that we think the entrance to the Chamber is in the girls’ bathroom on the second floor and that a Basilisk is petrifying everyone."

Ron looked up and blinked, "Well, yeah," he said simply.

"Why?"

"You heard him, Harry, he suspects something, and he said he was going after my sister. This information could help him save her."

"Ron stop being a git," said Harry with a sigh.

A look of horror took over Ron's face. "Don't you want to save my sister?" His voice had risen in volume and people around the common room were starting to notice them. "He said he was going to save her so we should help him if we can. She is my sister and if you were my friend you would do this for me." Ron was shouting as he finished. He glared at Harry, his face now blending in perfectly with his hair.

The entire common room was looking at the two friends, shock and pity on their faces. Gryffindors stuck together and right now the two second year students were not acting like Gryffindors, especially not ones who were best friends.

"That is not what I meant, Ron," Harry's voice was barely a whisper. He sighed, "You know I want to save Ginny I just don't think that Lockhart is the answer."

Ron gaped at him, "But he's done all that stuff he wrote about in…"

"Ron, I seriously doubt that a man who can't handle a dozen Cornish Pixies can handle a hag let alone a Yeti or a Werewolf. He banished the bones in my arm instead of healing them and Snape made him look like a first year who had never cast a spell in that dueling club. Lockhart is a media hungry ponce, not the hero your sister needs."

The taller boy was silent for a moment but then his eye turned hard and anger seemed to radiate off him. "I know what this is about, Potter!" At the pronouncement of Harry's last name spittle flew from his mouth and he moved in a manner resembling an angry Malfoy, but with less pure-blood arrogance. "You just want all the glory for yourself. You are going to turn the wizarding world away from everyone with more fame than you, Lockhart is just your first conquest." He turned and stalked to the portrait, "I don't care what you do but I am going to go to Lockhart and help him save my sister."

Harry just closed his eyes as the portrait slammed behind his friend. It was hard enough to keep his own fear for the youngest Weasley in check, he really didn't have enough control to keep Ron's explosive anger at bay as well. Harry really missed Hermione.

He opened his eyes when he felt two nearly identical arms fall over his shoulders. He was surprised to see Fred and George. Until a moment ago they had been huddled in a corner completely isolated from everyone else, terrified for their sister.

"Don't worry about him…" Fred began.

"Harry, he…" George continued.

"Just can't handle…"

"The pressure, so he is…"

"Taking it out on you," they said together.

Fred stepped around so he was in front of Harry instead of at his side. His eyes were a mere shadow of their usual state; they just didn't have the spark and humor they usually held. "I mean Hermione won't be un-petrified for a few more days so who else is he going to yell at when he is confused?"

"Yeah, Harry," George added, "He is afraid of us and he doesn't talk to anyone else so that leaves you."

"Thanks for that, guys," Harry said with a small smile. It didn't reach his eyes but it was still a smile.

"No problem, Harry," said George.

"Now, for the reason we came over here," Fred said, a bit of mischief making its way into his eyes.

"Was what little Ronnie said true?"

"Do you know where the Chamber is?"

"Do you know what the monster is?" they finished in unison again.

Harry looked at them then shrugged, "Yeah, I think we figured it out." He paused then reached into his trouser pocket, "Hermione had this in her hand and everything kind of fell into place."

He passed the scrap of paper to Fred, and the twin redheads focused on the words both printed and written on the yellowed paper. As one, their heads snapped up and looked at Harry, then at each other.

"It makes sense," said George.

Fred nodded, "But how are they not…"

"The water…" said George.

"Nick…"

"Camera…"

"And wasn't Penny holding…"

"A mirror," George finished.

"Why the girls' bathroom on the second floor?" asked Fred.

Harry looked from one twin to the other then took a deep breath. "The last time the chamber was opened there was one death, and she hasn't left the school. Perhaps she is still in the room she died in; the second-floor girl's toilet. At least that is what I think happened."

He saw recognition flash in their eyes and then they looked at each other. They nodded and then each grabbed one of Harry's elbows and walked toward the portrait hole. "Well," Fred said a bit louder than necessary, "I guess we should go find little Ronnie, this is a time for family."

"Yes, Dearest Fred, we can't allow our baby brother to suffer alone. We must go after him, as we are his wonderful older brothers."

Once out in the hall they pulled Harry into a small alcove and George pulled out an old ragged sheet of parchment. "This Harry is the secret to our successes here at Hogwarts and tonight it is going to help us save Ginny."

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," the redheads said in unison as Fred touched his wand to the parchment.

Harry's eyes widened as writing appeared proclaiming that this was the Marauder's Map and then proceeded to make a complete map of Hogwarts, with moving dots indicating each person in the castle included. He would have to ask them about it later, when the situation wasn't so dire.

"Alright," said Fred. "Now to find Lockhart and see if he is actually going to help."

The three searched and found Ron immediately, he was in Lockhart's office and he wasn't moving. They frowned at each other and continued their search. It was George who gave a gasp of triumph. "The ponce is heading out the front doors with surprising speed; I don't expect he will be coming back."

"Now that the useless git is out of the way, who should we go to for help?"

"We are not capable of taking on a Basilisk. Even if you took on a mountain troll in first year, a basilisk is a whole other level of danger; whether you speak Parseltongue or not."

Harry was looking at the map and had a sudden idea. "I think we should go to McGonagall's office; she's there with Snape." He paused and then elaborated when he saw the surprise on the twin's faces, "I may not like the man but he seems to know what he is doing and honestly anyone who can knock Lockhart on his butt and make it look like he was merely teaching deserves a chance."

The twins nodded, unlike every non-Slytherin student, they liked Snape. He may be the unfair dungeon bat but he taught potions and a good portion of their 'work' involved potions so they were determined to learn all they could from the man, though they still had to make his life miserable, they had a reputation uphold after all.

**Transfiguration Professor's Office**

Minerva McGonagall paced her office with the ferocity of a lioness on the hunt; so utterly intimidating that one would wonder why her animagus was a tabby as opposed to the Queen of all cats. Although she was a terrifying sight to behold, she was in fact at a loss for what to do. One of her cubs was in danger and she feared she would never see her again.

Severus Snape, however, sat stiffly in one of the visitor's chairs in her office. He had not, as he usually did, transfigured the cushion from red to green. He too was worried for the student even though she was a reckless Gryffindor.

The Heads of House had agreed that with Dumbledore removed from his post by the school governors, Pomona would send word to the DMLE and Filius would be in charge of the students while Severus and Minerva tried to figure out the mystery that had been stumping wizards for hundreds of years.

At a knock on the door Minerva paused her pacing, Severus turned his head to the door. Without waiting for a reply, the door burst open and three young Gryffindors tumbled in, barely managing to remain upright.

"Mr. Potter, Mrs. Weasley you should be in your dorms not roaming the castle," their head of house said in utter exasperation. She wasn't all that surprised that the students roaming the castle were these three, they were often where they shouldn't. It was however surprising that the youngest male Weasley was not with them.

"I know Professor, and I'm sorry but there is something I think you should know." Harry's demeanor was serious as he stared at his sternest Professors.

"Yeah, Professor," said Fred, "Harry might have figured out the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets." Normally the twins would have split the statement but they had a sort of understanding with Snape on that count; they didn't split their sentences and he let them ask questions on the art of potions. As long as no one else was around of course.

"Is this true, Mr. Potter," McGonagall was trying not to put too much stock in the statement.

Snape looked at the small second year and raised an eyebrow, "Enlighten us, Potter."

Harry looked at his Professors and then the twins. At the encouraging nods, Harry took a deep breath and reached into his pocket pulling out a scrap of parchment. He handed the parchment to Professor Snape, as he was closer, "I think Slytherin's beast is a Basilisk and that the entrance to the chamber is in the girl's toilet on the second floor."

Snape studied the scrap and then handed it to his colleague, not showing any change in his expression. The older Professor took a moment to study the information presented to her and looked at Severus, "Hagrid's roosters," was all she said.

Snape grunted in agreement, "There has also been a noticeable lack of spiders, even in the dungeons."

"How is it that not one student has been killed?" McGonagall asked.

"Because they didn't look directly into the eyes of the Basilisk," George said quietly.

"The Creevey boy was holding a camera, was he not, Minerva?"

"Yes, he was, Severus. Miss Granger and Miss Clearwater were found with a mirror."

"Justin was found with Nearly Headless Nick," George added.

"A ghost can't die so he took the killing glance while Justin saw it through him," finished Fred.

"And that blasted cat?" asked the dark Professor.

"The girl's toilet had flooded," Harry said knowing his Professors would draw the same conclusion he had.

"This is impressive work, Potter," said the tall man reluctantly. "I find myself impressed by the sound deductions you have presented."

Harry shook his head, "It wasn't me sir, Hermione figured it out. She had that in her hand, I found it this afternoon when Ron and I went to visit her."

Snape nodded, that did make more sense, the girl was very bright. "Why do you think that the entrance is in that particular location?"

"Moaning Myrtle," Harry answered simply but continued when his Professors gave him skeptical looks. "I heard that a student died last time the chamber was opened and then I remembered the young ghost girl who was always crying and flooding that bathroom. What if the student who died never left? And even if it isn't there then maybe she could give us an idea of where it really is."

The students stood in silence as the two Professors seemed to have a silent conversation. Snape gave an almost imperceptible nod and turned to the boys while McGonagall said something under her breath, a silver tabby appeared on her desk. She spoke to the cat and then it flew out of the office.

"Now normally I would demand that the three of you return to your common rooms but I feel there may be some need for young Mr. Potter in this." He smirked at the look of shock on the Gryffindor faces. "As this is Salazar's hidden chamber it would infer that the entrance would be guarded in a way that only he and his descendants could bypass." He smirked at the young man, "Parseltongue, Mr. Potter, I believe that any password would be set in Parseltongue and as you are the only living individual who speaks it that I am in acquaintance with I fear that I will have to take you with me."

He turned his attention to the twin terrors behind the second year. "I am going to allow you to accompany us on the assumption that if I forbid you to join us you would find a way to follow despite anything I said or did." He smirked at the somewhat guilty nod the twins gave him. "Your job will be to ensure young Mr. Potter doesn't get himself into any more trouble, as he seems hell bent on spending his time in the hospital wing."

Harry frowned while the twins nodded again, determination in their mischievous eyes.

"How are we going to destroy the monster, Severus?" asked McGonagall. "If it is in fact the same monster as the one Slytherin placed while still in the school it would be enormous. I do not know how we could fight something of that size while still avoiding its gaze and fangs."

"If only we had a rooster," was his bland reply.

Minerva frowned then shouted, "Mipsy."

A small grey creature popped into the room. Harry recognized it as a house elf, though this one was obviously female and was much less nervous than his strange friend Dobby.

"Mipsy be at your service, Professor," said the squeaky creature.

"Mipsy, I need you to get me a rooster as fast as you can and bring it to the girl's toilet on the second floor. We are heading there now and we will need it if we hope to save the young girl that has gone missing."

The house elf popped out of the room without a second’s delay. "Shall we gentlemen?" she said, indicating the door. "I have given Filius and Pomona a brief summary of what we are doing and they will inform the other teachers of our plans."

At this the twins spoke up, "You might want to tell them that Lockhart is a lost cause."

"He walked out the front door and left Ron unconscious in his office," Fred finished.

"We went after Ron; he left to go tell Lockhart what we knew. We had decided to come to you because you have been teachers longer and we…"

"Stop trying to be nice, Harry," said Fred.

"Yeah," George continued, "I am sure the Professors know that Lockhart is a worthless, cowardly ponce."

McGonagall gave the twins a stern look while Snape smirked.

"We did not expect help from Lockhart so there is no need to worry, Mr. Potter. Either Professor Flitwick or Professor Sprout will retrieve the youngest Weasley and take him to the hospital wing."

They finished their journey to the second floor in silence.

**Hogwarts Second Floor**

The group approached the restroom at a fast walk. They avoided the message on the wall announcing the fate of the youngest Weasley. Professor Snape slowly opened the door to the girl's bathroom looking for signs of movement. Deciding it was clear he stepped into the slightly flooded bathroom and indicated for the others to follow.

There was a cry and suddenly they were faced with the incorporeal form of Moaning Myrtle.

"Oh, it's you," she said looking at Harry, "What do you want?"

Harry shrank away from his Professor's raised eyebrow but answered the young ghost. "I wanted to know how you died."

"Oh, it was horrible," she seemed happy to tell her tale. "I was crying because Olive Hornby was making fun of me when I heard a male voice. I came out of the stall to tell him to go away when I saw a pair of great big yellow eyes over there and then I died."

"Thank you for sharing that with me, Myrtle," Harry said respectfully to the distraught ghost.

Together Harry, the twins and Professor Snape walked toward the sink Myrtle had indicated. Before they could do anything, the little house elf reappeared this time with a very unhappy rooster. "Mipsy brings the loud chicken, Professor. I's borrowed him from the grumpy man with the goat the sparkly Headmaster sometimes visits."

A small smile played on McGonagall's face at the house elf's description of the Headmaster and his brother. "Thank you, Mipsy, you have done well." She slashed her wand to the irate rooster and silenced its irritated squawking. "I'll be silencing him until he is needed. If you would, Mr. Potter, I believe you will have to do the honors."

Harry nodded and walked closer to the sink. "Open," he said but realized that he had spoken in English and not the language of snakes. He looked closer at the sink and saw there was a carving that looked serpentine along the faucet. He squinted at the carving and once again said, " _Open."_

At the hissed word the floor began to move. As they watched, a hole was opened in the floor and a slope leading down toward the lowest portions of the castle was revealed.

"Well done, Mr. Potter," said McGonagall.

Harry made a move to enter the tube, but Snape placed a hand on his shoulder stalling him. "I would think that a man of Salazar Slytherin's talents would have had another way of entering his sanctuary." At his student's blank look, he said, "Stairs, Potter, I am sure he was capable of transforming this pipe into stairs with only a word. Sliding down a slimy pipe would have been beneath such a man."

"Oh," Harry said, a little embarrassed. "Right," he sucked in a breath and hissed, " _stairs."_ As the potions Professor had guessed, the tube did in fact become stairs with just a single word in Parseltongue.

Snape nodded to Harry, the closest thing to a compliment he was going to get, and started down the steep stairway, leading the way. George clapped Harry on the shoulder and followed the potions Professor.

"I'm right behind you Harry," said Fred as he pushed the younger boy ahead of him. He then turned and nodded to McGonagall, he and George would protect the boy who might have just saved their baby sister. McGonagall took up the rear levitating the rooster in front of her.

The somewhat slippery stairwell led to a cave-like room littered with the bones of animals and an enormous snakeskin. Severus crouched next the skin studying it, a look of surprise on his face. "This basilisk has to be at least fifty feet long by now if not seventy." He looked to Minerva, "This could be very dangerous. Have that rooster ready to start crowing."

They turned to the far side of the chamber to see a large circular door blocking their way. It was decorated with snakes so Harry stepped forward and once again used his Parseltongue abilities to open the newest door.

The group stepped into a long chamber lined with stone snakes. At the end, near a giant sculpture of a human head, lay Ginny Weasley. The young Gryffindors, typically, forgot all caution and ran to the prone girl. Severus and Minerva, however, remained near the entrance, attempting to keep their presence unknown for the time being. They wanted to know who the young man standing over the small girl was. He wore Slytherin robes but neither Severus nor Minerva had ever seen him.

"Ginny," the three boys said at once, fear apparent in their voices.

"She won't wake," said the older teen.

When Harry asked 'Tom' what was wrong with her the others were surprised. How did Harry know this boy's name when the teachers and twins did not? Severus and Minerva were shocked when the boy described Ginny's relationship with the diary and what it had done to her. It shocked them that such a sweet girl had been forced to do those things completely against her will.

Most surprising however was when he wrote his name in flame and the letters rearranged themselves to read 'I am Lord Voldemort.' The young man then spoke in Parseltongue and the mouth of the stone face began to open slowly.

It was then that Severus turned to Minerva. She nodded at him. The second they saw movement the rooster would be crowing. Severus cast a disillusionment spell on them, and they made their way forward as quietly as they could. When the shadows near the opening started to shift, Minerva removed the silencing spell on the rooster and agitated it so it would begin crowing. Severus amplified the sounds with a sonorous, just to ensure that the crowing reached the gigantic serpent.

The rooster crowed and crowed, and the wizards covered their ears to block the reverberating calls. Severus watched the mouth of the statue, hoping their plan worked but fear fell upon him when he saw the great snake's massive snout. He instantly turned, facing away from the snake, and stepped in front of his colleague.

"It didn't work," he hissed hoping he was blocking her view of the snake's deadly gaze. "Remind me to kill the author of that book if we survive this."

"Severus, I am sure the author is long dead."

"Then I will resurrect him for the sole purpose of killing him."

She sighed, "I do not believe this is the time for this discussion. We need to find a way to kill the beast while avoiding its gaze and keeping my lions safe at the same time." Minerva paused for a moment, "Perhaps the reference to the rooster was not for its call but for what the call typically signifies. Perhaps the Basilisk can't see by the light of the sun and thus is never seen around roosters because they announce the rising of the sun."

"It is worth a shot," the dark man said after a short pause.

As one they turned, eyes to the ground. From the corner of his eye Severus noted that the Weasley twins had dragged both their sister and Potter to one of the snake statues along the wall and were huddled behind it, all three boys looking away from the snake.

"SOLARIS MAXIMA," the Professors bellowed as one, shutting their eyes as they did.

The giant snake roared in pain as light as bright as the sun flooded the subterranean cavern.

Again, the Professors aimed their wands as one and sent blasting hexes to the temporarily blinded snake's eyes. Severus smirked as his hex hit the snakes left eye bursting the deadly organ into a mass of blood and tissues. Hearing Minerva curse next to him he noticed her spell had not hit its target, it had hit the nearly invulnerable scales surrounding the eye of the snake.

They fired blasting curses again, both aiming for the undamaged eye. They fired another two curses each before the second eye was destroyed. It was nearly impossible to hit the eye of a thrashing animal so far above their heads.

"AVAD…"

"Expelliarmus."

Severus turned to the side and saw that Fred, at least he thought it was Fred, had his wand pointed at the young Voldemort, whose hand was now empty. The young Slytherin growled at the red head and started toward the wand that had flown from his hand.

Riddle would not regain the wand though because he was no match for the youngest Gryffindor's speed, Harry sprinted from his hiding place, slid on the wet stone and took the wand into his empty hand. The Gryffindor stood and pointed two wands at the snarling teen while backing away. Twin redheads stepped to their young friend's side, one taking back his wand back, and Riddle now had three wands pointed at him.

"No matter," Riddle said, "my dearest may not be able to kill you with a glance but she can still swallow you. I guess I will just have to listen to your screams as she sinks her teeth into you."

"Weasleys, Potter," Severus called, "back away from him and get back to Miss Weasley." He looked to Minerva, "We will have to do this the hard way."

"How will we kill it, Severus? A Basilisk's skin is even more resistant than dragon hide?"

"A Basilisk's skin may be spell resistant but its soft tissue is not."

"What do you mean Severus?"

"If I can hit her with a blasting hex or cutting curse in the mouth, I believe I can kill her."

The older woman stared at the man in shock. She blinked, "You can't be serious Severus, the chance of you surviving such an idiotic plan is nearly impossible. If you miss, you will be in her mouth and therefore dead. If you do cut her open from the inside it is highly likely she will fall on you, which is just as likely to kill you due to her size and in the off chance you don't get crushed you could very well be hit by her fangs. I’m sure you know that basilisk venom is perhaps the most poisonous substance in the world."

"We have no choice Minerva; I am faster and stronger and thus have a better chance of surviving this than you do."

"Very well but if you die, I will kill you myself."

"Of course, Minerva," he stepped toward the now calmer snake, "Oh, and could you do something about the angry young Slytherin over there, I find him to be quite irritating. Do not be fooled by the fact that he does not appear to be carrying a wand. I suspect he took George's wand so that there were less wands to point in his direction, it is highly likely he has stashed Miss Weasley's wand somewhere and is waiting to reveal it at the most opportune moment."

"With pleasure," she said with a smirk. Minerva turned toward the young man prepared to incapacitate him but then she noticed a wand in his hands. Severus was right. Her eyes flicked toward her three trouble making lions. Each of the boys clutched their wand so it must be Miss Weasley's, he did indeed have the wand before they entered the chamber. He cast a spell at her when he noticed her approach. Minerva dodged the spell with ease and readied her own wand, letting a retaliatory spell fly a moment later. She would not lose to a school aged Lord Voldemort.

Severus threw blasting and cutting curses at the giant snake hoping to irritate it into striking at him so he could finish it. The snake seemed to be more interested in the others but kept hissing at him after every curse connected with its skin, not in pain but in annoyance.

"Come on, you scaly bastard, strike at me," he growled. As he said this, he cast a particularly powerful cutting curse and the curse hit the snake right in one of its damaged eyes causing the snake to scream in pain.

He smirked as the snake focused on him at last. The snake reared up then plunged down toward the dark man. Severus aimed his wand at the snake’s wide-open mouth. Putting all his reserves into the spell, he fired his final blasting hex straight down the snake's throat. His spell tore through the skin of the snake's mouth, blood exploding from the wound along with what looked like brain matter. His one and only chance appeared successful.

Severus scrambled back as the snake fell, its head landing less than a foot from his feet, the floor shaking with the impact. He attempted to wipe blood from his face but most of him was covered in the coppery substance. Severus turned his attention to the rest of the chamber; the young Dark Lord needed dealing with.

The young man screamed in anger, "What have you done," he shouted at the Professors. "You have destroyed the Queen of serpents." He snarled and looked toward the young students. A smile spread across his face, "I suppose I can live with this, for you are too late. The girl has only moments and then she will be dead, her life force will leave her and make me live once more."

Severus rushed toward the raven-haired boy and the diary. He cast a myriad of spells at the diary but with little effect. Frustrated, he slid a knife from a concealed sheath in his boot and with little ceremony or thought plunged the knife into the battered black book.

While he had been attempting to destroy the book, Minerva had been protecting her lions. Fred and George were crouched in front of Harry and their sister attempting to block the younger students if the duel between McGonagall and Tom got too out of hand.

Minerva was surprised. The boy was good for a student, but she was better. He may be the future Lord Voldemort but he was still only sixteen, so he hadn't yet learned all of Voldemort's most terrifying curses. She cast a shield between the boys and their duel and then focused on pushing back the young miscreant with the style and skill of a Transfiguration master.

The scream coming from behind the shield startled both duelers. It was then that Tom saw the knife plunged into his diary and the black blood like ink leaking out of the book as it screamed.

"NO," he screamed as his body lost substance. He knew that he could not survive this, he had not yet gained a complete body as the girl was still alive, "I will return, Potter and I will kill you."

With those final words the Slytherin teen faded from existence.

Minerva McGonagall smoothed her robes and picked up the wand the Riddle boy had dropped. "Hold on to that for your sister, Mr. Weasley," she handed the wand to the nearest twin.

Harry and the other twin were kneeling next Ginny and the young girl was beginning to stir. She was afraid and began to ramble about what she had done while apologizing.

"Enough of that, Miss Weasley," Minerva said with authority, "we will speak of this all later but first we should return to the upper levels of the castle. Someone has some very distraught parents waiting up there," she said giving Ginny a pointed look.

The students stood and started toward the circular door they had entered from. Severus tucked the diary into a pocket and slid the knife back into its sheath. Standing, he looked toward the entrance to the basilisk's lair.

"You can come back later and harvest it for potion ingredients Severus; I am sure Mr. Potter would let you in and split the profits of the carcass with you." She turned to follow her lions, "He may insist that Miss Granger and the Weasley children share in the profits but considering the size you believe the creature to be it should still be a sizable profit for everyone."

"It is mine by conquest."

She smiled, "True, but you would not have had the chance to defeat it without, Harry. Nor will you be able to harvest it without him."

Severus glanced on last time at the gigantic carcass, cast a preservation spell and then turned to follow his colleague. His student was safe, but the circumstances that put her in danger brought forth too many questions for comfort.


	2. Who is That?

**Hogwarts**

The weary group made their way to the transfiguration teacher’s office. Opening the door Minerva saw that her office was quite full. Of course, the Weasley parents were there; Poppy had called them and had brought them to her office when they arrived. Poppy, Pomona, Filius and two others were also there. A tall stern looking woman with a monocle and an even taller black man were also in her office; the woman was Amelia Bones, the head of the DMLE, the man was Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Poppy, Pomona and Molly Weasley were seated in front of her desk; Molly was in hysterics while the other two were attempting to calm her. Amelia and Filius were talking quietly, in conjured chairs near her window. Amelia appeared to be trying to get as much information out of the half goblin as she could. Arthur was pacing, while Kingsley was standing at the back of the room observing.

Kingsley was the first to notice them, followed closely by Amelia and Filius. “Oh, Minerva, what a relief,” Filius said, “I am glad to see you back apparently unharmed. What happened? Did you find the girl?”

“Before we explain anything, I believe I should put a family’s worry to rest.” She reached behind her and pushed the young Weasley girl into the room. Molly was out of her chair and wrapped around the young girl before anyone else had a chance to move, weeping uncontrollably. 

Arthur stood frozen for a moment then made his way to his wife and daughter. He placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder and a kiss upon his daughter’s head. 

“Poppy,” Minerva said over Molly’s hysterics, “Miss Weasley has just been through a very trying experience and I would assume she is exhausted. Why don’t you take her and her family down to the hospital wing so you can look her over and make sure she is alright?”

The Medi-witch nodded and made her way to the three Weasleys, “Come now Molly, Ginny must be tired so why don’t we take her down to the hospital wing and get her checked out and then she can sleep, you can be there the whole time.” Poppy ushered the Weasley women out of the office knowing that Arthur would follow.

As he was leaving Arthur spied his twin sons and looked to the Deputy Headmistress in question. “I will send your sons along shortly Arthur but rest assured they are not in trouble this time.”

He looked shocked, “That is surprising,” he said under his breath, “Send them whenever you are done with them then Minerva, I trust they will be cooperative.” He gave his sons a pointed look then followed after the three retreating figures.

“I feel as though I should be insulted, Gred.”

“Agreed, Forge, we are not always in trouble.”

“Yes, you are,” said Harry, with a smirk.

“I’m hurt,” said Gred, putting a hand to his heart.

“How could you Harry,” added Forge.

“We are not…” he trailed off, “Well I guess we kind of are.”

“Very true dearest, Gred.”

“We forgive you, Harry,” they said together.

“Enough gentlemen,” said Minerva rubbing her temples. “We have much to discuss and I would prefer to finish before the sun rises.”

The three young lions looked at her sheepishly and then entered the office taking the three abandoned chairs. 

Severus entered and closed the door then stood leaning against the wall; his arms crossed over his chest.

“Minerva,” Amelia began, “how is it that the girl is alive? I had thought she was taken to the Chamber of Secrets.”

“She was, Amelia, but the Chamber is no longer hidden. Young Mr. Potter and his friends solved the mystery.”

Harry looked down at his feet as all eyes fell on him. “It was mostly Hermione.”

“As you have said before, Potter, but it would go much faster if you just explained what happened and how you came upon your information.” He paused for a moment then continued, “I would also like to know how you knew who ‘Tom’ was on sight.”

And so, Harry told them his story from start to finish. He told them of the voices in the walls, the diary, Hagrid’s clue and Hermione’s brilliance. He replayed his part in the chamber and told the head of the DMLE about Tom Marvolo Riddle, the self-proclaimed Lord Voldemort. When he finished, those who had not been in the chamber were shocked. That the secret of the chamber had been solved by two second year students was one thing but for all of this to come about because of the diary of the darkest man in recent history was another. 

Amelia and Kingsley asked the three boys about their experiences and when they were satisfied Minerva told them to head to the Hospital wing, to get checked out just in case and so that they were not pestered by their fellow students.

**Transfiguration Professor’s Office**

“Severus,” Minerva said when they were alone in her office.

He knew what she wanted but he wasn’t sure what to say. In the time since the war, Severus had to learn to trust and Minerva was the one person he had come close to trusting in the time of peace. 

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “A dozen years ago I got into the habit of carrying a poisoned blade with me at all times.”

“Who was that blade intended for?”

“At first, it was merely a security measure, it made me feel secure. Then, after I realized my mistake, it had a few key targets if ever the opportunity arose.” He looked out the window, his eyes focused on something beyond the school grounds. “I intended to use the knife on one of three people if the situation arose. The first, and least likely, was the Dark Lord. If I ever found myself alone with him and close enough, I would take him with me. Of course, he or his snake would kill me if I made a move. Next, and almost as important, was Bellatrix. That woman has always been insane and some would argue, more dangerous than her master. Lastly, I would use it on myself. If they discovered my betrayal, I would kill myself before they could learn anything from me. The torture I was prepared for, being the reason for another death I was not.”

“Why are you carrying it now?”

He looked over his shoulder to his colleague, “After the appearance of the Dark Lord in the back of Quirrell’s head last year having the blade at hand calmed me to a point.”

“Did the blade need to be poisoned?”

“I carried it without the poison for a few weeks but I didn’t feel the calming effect until I bathed the blade in poison again.”

“What kind of poison is it? Knowing you it would be a strong, fast acting poison for those intended persons.”

He tilted his head slightly in agreement. “While experimenting for the Dark Lord he presented me with venom from his snake familiar Nagini. She is an exceptionally poisonous snake and he had hoped that I could derive a way to affect a group of people at once. His ultimate goal was for the poison to be airborne or kill on contact instead of just by injection.” He began to pace, “At the time, I was already spying for the light so I managed to slow progress, I gave him a potion that would burn the skin on contact but it would only kill if it came in contact with an open wound or orifice. He had presented me with so much of Nagini’s venom that I collected some for my own use, in fact the majority of it I hid in my private stores. I purified the venom, keeping only the most potent portion and laced my blade in it.” Pausing, he looked directly at Minerva, “Nagini’s venom may not be as potent as a basilisk’s but it doesn’t take much to kill someone. Like basilisk venom it is magical and, for the potent form I use, there is no antidote beyond perhaps phoenix tears as it acts far too quickly.”

“Why did you stab the diary with your knife?”

He opened his mouth to respond but closed his mouth again. Why had he stabbed the diary? He had no idea what the diary was at the time and even now he only suspected. “I’m not sure. I could find nothing else that would tie the Weasley girl to the young man, I was trying to destroy it but no spell I cast had an effect. Fiendfyre did come to mind momentarily but with the students so close I didn't dare try it. I suppose I thought that if I could cut the thing to pieces then it might break the connection so I pulled the knife without really thinking. Surprisingly it worked, though it worries me. The book bled and screamed, there had to be a great deal of dark magic in it for it to drain the girl of magic in the first place.”

“Do you have any idea what he could have done to the diary to cause it to act the way it did?”

“I have theories but no solid idea, but each of my theories is terrifying enough.”

Minerva stood after a few moments of silence, “Well, while I may not approve of you carrying a poisonous blade around students it saved us today.” She walked to him and patted his cheek in a motherly fashion, “You have become a good man Severus.” 

He nodded slightly and walked to the door, not liking the friendly atmosphere. 

“Oh, and Severus,” she said as he opened the door, “Lose the knife during school hours.”

Severus looked at Minerva with a scowl and shut the door behind him.

**Gryffindor Common Room**

Harry, Fred and George sat in the nearly empty common room. It had been a long day, Professor Dumbledore had arrived back at the castle that morning and had told the entire school about the incident, well not the entire story but he had given credit to the five rescuers. Harry had also visited Dumbledore and oddly enough had met Lucius Malfoy again and ended up freeing his house elf Dobby. 

There had been a celebratory feast for dinner, with the announcement that the petrified students would be cured the following morning, followed by an unauthorized party in the Gryffindor common room. Despite the fact that it was well past midnight the three were not tired, they were wide awake and they doubted they would find sleep that night. The only other person in the common room was the seventh-year Prefect Peter Smethwick who had a habit of falling asleep reading by the fire, which he had done that night as well.

Harry was studying the map, marveling at the amazing magic before him. He was looking at the hospital wing and smiled at the number of dots with the name Weasley attached to them in the room. Ron had been taken to the hospital wing when Professor Sprout found him unconscious in the defense classroom, it turned out that he had been obliviated by Lockhart before the blond glory hog had fled in fear. Ginny, of course, was in the hospital wing suffering from her ordeal in the chamber and magical drain. The fifth and final Hogwarts age Weasley was in the hospital wing as well. Percy had gone to try to help his parents cope with possibly losing Ginny and had become his mother’s security blanket. It seemed the only thing that calmed the Weasley matriarch was holding onto her children and Percy had been unanimously voted (sacrificed) by the twins.

His smile slipped a little when his gaze landed on the unmoving dot of Hermione Granger. Yes, he knew that the mandrake potion would be administered in the morning, but he still missed her and wanted to share his adventure with her. He hoped she was proud of him. 

He moved on from the hospital wing and his eyes fell on his own name. It was so odd to look at yourself on a map and know that if you moved the dot would move too. Another glance showed him that his four dorm mates were sound asleep in their beds.

“Where did you…” Harry started to say but stopped. Ron was in the hospital wing and he was in the common room so there should only be three people in his dorm room. He stared at the room and counted again. One, two, three, four, there were definitely four people in the room.

“What was that, Harry?” asked Fred.

When Harry didn’t answer, but continued to stare intently at the map the twins shared a concerned look.

George stood up and walked to Harry’s side. “Harry, are you alright?”

“Guys is there another Peter in Gryffindor other than Smethwick?”

They shook their heads in unison and asked “Why?”

“I was looking at the map and noticed that there are four people in my dorm.” The twins looked on in interest. “With Ron in the hospital wing because of Lockhart and me here there should only be three people there. So, I counted again and sure enough there were four. Neville, Seamus, Dean and someone named Peter Pettigrew.”

“That name,” said Fred.

“Sounds familiar,” continued George.

“Didn’t he receive the”

“Order of Merlin”

“Posthumously,” they finished as one.

“Yeah, he did,” answered a tired voice. Peter Smethwick stood and stretched. “He received the Order of Merlin for attempting to capture the traitor Sirius Black but was killed in the attempt.” He walked over to the younger students, his eyes focused on Harry. “I would think you would know all about him Potter, he was supposed to have been a friend of your parents at school, from what I remember my father saying.”

Harry looked to the twins. “Does it show dead people?”

“No, it doesn't," answered George.

"It's the one thing that gets us in trouble when pranking, we can't track the ghosts."

“What is all of this about?” asked Smethwick. “Why are you asking about Pettigrew?

The twins shared a glance and then nodded. “We are going to show you something but you have to promise not to tell a teacher because they would just take it from us,” they said as one. George took the parchment from Harry’s hand and passed it to the older boy when he nodded, he didn’t really care what the twins had, and he would be leaving Hogwarts soon so it didn’t really concern him. 

He looked at the twins then back at the map, his eyes huge. “Does this show every person in Hogwarts?”

The three younger boys nodded. 

“Wow.”

“That is what I thought when they showed me.” Harry stood and stepped to the older student and placed his finger on the map near his dorm. “The thing is, I was studying it and I noticed that there are too many people in my dorm and I had no idea who the fourth person was until you guys told me about him.”

Peter looked at the names near the dark-haired boy’s finger and froze. This was impossible. He pushed the paper toward the young boy and moved toward the second-year boy’s dorm. Opening the door, he turned the lamps on low and searched the room. Longbottom, Finnegan and Thomas were in their beds but he couldn’t see anyone else. He paused for a moment but then he noticed the toad and rat. The toad was sitting on one of the side tables while the rat was asleep on the pillow of one of the empty beds. With a flick of his wand he transfigured two socks into a pair of cages and levitated the two small animals into the cages. He was going to go see McGonagall about a possible illegal Animagus. 

**Hogwarts Hallways**

Harry woke early the next morning despite how long he stayed awake the night before. He was one of the first people at the breakfast table in the great hall; in fact, the only people present were three professors and a handful of older students. He ate as quickly as he could and made his way to the hospital wing going as fast as he could without resorting to running.

As he entered the hospital wing he saw professor Snape and madam Pomfrey at the bed of Colin Creevey. Justin Finch-Fletchley and Penelope Clearwater were already stirring; Justin was talking to Professor Sprout while the sixth year Ravenclaw was sitting up in her bed sipping water. He walked farther into the room, walking straight to Hermione’s bed when he noticed Mr. Filch standing in the corner cuddling Mrs. Norris swaying as if there were music, oddly enough the cat didn’t seem to mind.

Harry sat in the chair next to Hermione’s bed and grabbed onto the hand that lay stiffly just off the bed sheets. He really didn’t care if Madam Pomfrey said she couldn’t hear or feel him, he believed she knew he was there and he would be there when she came back to the world.

“Good Morning, Mr. Potter,” said the school nurse as she stepped up to the bed. “I am surprised to see you up so early considering all the excitement in your dorm last night.”

Harry smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “You and Professor Snape said I could be here when you gave Hermione the Mandrake potion, I wasn’t about to over sleep and not be here when she wakes up.”

“Yes, Mr. Potter, your loyalty to your friends has been made abundantly clear in the past two years,” drawled the potions master. “Now if you would take a step back, I can give the potion to your friend and escape the overly emotional reunion.”

He stood up and walked to the end of the bed, leaving the irritable potions master all the room he wanted and prepared to watch. 

“Harry, Harry,” called the camera-happy first year, “can you believe it, they told me I was petrified by a Basilisk. That’s a really big and deadly snake, right? I wonder where my camera is. I hope I got a good picture.” The boy bounced on the bed as he spoke, barely taking the time to breathe. “You see I heard this noise and I thought it sounded cool so I got ready to take a picture, turned and saw big yellow eyes through the viewer and then I was here. Just amazing, right?”

Harry let a small smile cross his face at the younger boy’s enthusiasm; it seemed nothing was going to dampen the boy’s love of magic and the school. “I know you had your camera when you were brought in here, I was in here to get my arm bones re-grown after a quidditch match, but I don’t know if your camera survived the Basilisk’s killing gaze.”

The boy looked sad for a moment then bounced again. “Oh well, I was hoping to get a new camera for my birthday anyway, a wizard camera so I can have moving pictures.”

“Mr. Potter,” said Madam Pomfrey as she walked past him, “Miss Granger should be waking any moment.”

Harry scrambled back to the chair at his best friend’s bed side and took her hand in his once more. He instantly felt a difference. Before she had been cool to the touch, but now he could feel her skin warming in his hand. Her hand twitched and then gripped his tightly. He heard a small moan and she turned her head, her warm brown eyes locking with his as a smile spread across her face. 

“Welcome back, Hermione,” Harry whispered as he helped her sit and pulled her into a tight hug. 

Hermione looked around as she clung to Harry. She could see the other petrifaction victims also moving about, some more enthusiastically than others. 

“Harry, what happened? Where is Ron? Is the Basilisk still on the loose? Was anyone else petrified? What about…”

Harry chuckled and pulled back from the hug, “Slow down ‘Mione, I’ll tell you everything, I just can’t answer everything at once.” She blushed slightly and mumbled an apology. “Now as for your questions. The Basilisk is dead and no one else was petrified.” He leaned in closer and whispered, “I’ll tell you the full story of the chamber when you’re released, and I don’t think some people are prepared for all the details, alright?” At her nod, he continued with a frown, “Ron and I aren’t speaking right now.”

She gasped and grabbed his hand to try to reassure him. “What happened between you and Ron?” She looked into his pained eyes, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I just want to help you if I can.”

Harry shook his head, “No it's fine, Hermione, I think I need to talk about it, I just don’t understand why he won’t talk to me."

"Who would want to talk to a traitor like you, Potter?"

Hermione gasped at the venom in her red headed friend's voice. "Ron, Harry is your friend, how could you talk to him like that?"

"My friends care about me and my family. My friends support me. My friends help each other in times of need." With that Ron walked out of the infirmary having been released by Madame Pomfrey moments before. 

Hermione stared after Ron as he walked out the doors to the infirmary, absolutely confused by his actions. She shifted her gaze back to Harry to see him looking at his shoes. "Harry, I'm sure he'll get over whatever this is."

"I didn't do anything, Hermione; I just didn't agree with his choice of professor."

"What?"

Before Harry could respond Madame Pomfrey and Professor Snape stepped up to her bedside. "And how are you feeling now Miss Granger?" asked the healer.

"Oh, I feel fine, Madame Pomfrey."

"Any discomfort or stiffness?" When the Gryffindor shook her head Pomfrey nodded, "Good that means that the potion is reacting properly to the petrification. Now I need you to take this nutrient potion, you haven't eaten anything in a few weeks so you will need to take one a day for about a week to get your system back to normal. I will need you to come here every morning before breakfast to get your potion."

Hermione took the potion from Professor Snape's hand and nodded to the healer, "I will, Madame Pomfrey."

"Good, now if you take it easy for the rest of the day and come back if you feel off at all, I will let you go."

"I'll make sure she takes it easy, Madame Pomfrey," said Harry.

"I'm not sure if I should believe you, Mr. Potter considering your history with the hospital wing." He blushed and she smiled. "Go, both of you get out of here and get some sun."

Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her to her feet and out of the infirmary. "Let's go sit by the Black Lake, Hermione, and I'll tell you about what has been going on."

**Hogwarts Grounds**

"Wait, so you're telling me that Ron wanted to use Professor Lockhart to help you even though he seems to be completely incompetent." At Harry's nod, she shook her head, "Doesn't he remember we used Lockhart to get into the restricted section by asking for his autograph? The man cares more about his hair and smile than he does anything else."

"That was what I tried to say to Ron but he totally ignored me. He stormed out and then got obliviated by Liar Lockhart." Harry sighed, "The twins heard our argument and asked me about it right after Ron left and the we..." Harry told Hermione the details of his trip to the chamber of secrets with Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and the twins.

Hermione was astonished. To think Tom from the diary was actually the younger version of the Lord Voldemort. "I am so proud of you, Harry. You figured out what I found and took the logical approach by going to a professor that can actually do magic." She smiled at him, "I know how much you don't like professor Snape but you still went to our Head of House despite him being in her office."

Harry shrugged, "Well, I thought about my first quidditch match. If Quirrellmort was the one cursing my broom but Snape was also chanting, he must have been saying the counter curse, right? Plus, Professor Snape was much more informative in the dueling club than Lockhart.

"That's not even the end of it all," Harry continued. “The next day I was sitting up in the common room with the twins because I couldn't sleep and I was studying the map. I just happened to look at my dorm and noticed there were too many people in the room. With Ron in the infirmary and me in the common room there should have only been three people in the dorm but there were four names on the map." Hermione gasped. "So I asked the twins if there was another boy named Peter in Gryffindor other than the seventh-year Smethwick, who was asleep on the couch,"

"Like he always is," added Hermione.

Harry nodded, "Like always, and they said no so I asked them if they knew who Peter Pettigrew was."

"I don't think I have ever heard that name before, I don't think he is a student."

"That is what Smethwick said, I guess we woke him up, and he said he thought that Pettigrew had gotten an Order of Merlin but was dead. Anyway, he went up to the dorm and conjured some cages and put both Trevor and Scabbers in the cages and took them to Professor McGonagall. I haven't heard anything about it yet but she brought Trevor back this morning but didn't bring Scabbers back to the dorm."

"Do you think Scabbers was an Animagus like Professor McGonagall?"

"Excellent deduction, Miss Granger." Harry and Hermione turned to see their Head of House and another woman coming toward them. "Mr. Potter, I hope you remember her from the other night but this is Amelia Bones, she is the current head of the DMLE. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement," she added, realizing that her student probably didn't know what the abbreviation meant. Amelia shook hands with both students as Minerva continued, "I contacted her when I found someone I believed to be dead living as your friend's pet rat."

"So Scabbers was an Animagus? He really was Peter Pettigrew like the map said?"

"Yes, he was, Mr. Potter," answered Amelia Bones. "I wanted to come talk to you and the other students about how you discovered this and also to you about Pettigrew in particular."

"Okay," Harry looked at Hermione and then back to the two older witches, "would you mind if Hermione came too, I know she wasn't there but she has just been un-petrified and I promised Madame Pomfrey that I would make sure she didn't over do it today and I am afraid that if I leave her alone she is going to run off to the library and try to catch up on the classes she missed in one afternoon."

Professor McGonagall tried to hide a smile as she looked to Madame Bones, "I wouldn't have a problem with that considering you would tell her everything whether we asked you to keep it to yourself or not."

Amelia sighed, "As long as you do not speak of anything we discuss with anyone else then I will allow it." She didn't want to agree but Minerva had told her the boy would ask and had basically told her the boy would be much easier to talk to with the girl present anyway. Not to mention the fact that he had already told Miss Granger the beginning details despite being asked not to.

Once in Professor McGonagall's office Amelia started by asking Harry to tell her what happened that night. She let him tell his story from start to finish, noting questions as she went. 

When Harry finished, she began, "Now, Mr. Potter you said that you saw four names on the map when looking at your dorm, what map is this?"

Harry squirmed in his seat for a moment and looked to his professor, "It is something I got from someone else, I really don't want to get them in trouble."

"Mr. Potter," the Gryffindor Head of House began, "If you are concerned about the Weasley twins then I will promise that unless it is something dangerous then I will not be punishing them."

"I can agree with that, and I really do need the details to get the full picture."

Harry nodded and continued, "They showed me this map they had the other night before we came to your office about Ginny. I was studying it because it is really cool, it shows the whole castle with everyone in it, the only thing it doesn't show is the ghosts. They called it the Marauder's map."

Professor McGonagall groaned. "Of course. The Marauders found a way to make my life difficult years after they leave by helping the blasted Weasley twins." Then she sat up straighter, "Peter Pettigrew was a Marauder during his school years."

Amelia nodded, "I remember them, they started my final year but everyone knew who the 'Marauders' were by the end of the year. Potter and Black in particular were larger than life,” she glanced at Harry as she said the last bit. 

“Wait,” Harry said with wide eyes, “My dad was a Marauder? Did he make the map?”

Something in Minerva softened at the pleading look in the young boy’s eyes. “That would appear to be the case, Mr. Potter.” It would take a heartless person to not be affected by the beaming smile that spread across the boy’s face that only grew when his gaze shifted to the girl beside him.

“Harry,” Hermione said nodding towards Madam Bones.

“Right,” said Harry, understanding that they could learn more about his dad later. “The map shows everyone in the castle, except the ghosts. I noticed four names in my dorm but with Ron in the infirmary there should only have been three. I asked the twins about it, then like I said, Smethwick woke up and,” he shrugged, “you know the rest.”

Hermione sat up straighter, “Excuse me ma’am but Harry said that he heard that Pettigrew was supposed to have been killed by Black, what does that mean for Black now that Pettigrew is alive?”

Amelia looked at the girl, “Please do not share this with anyone, it will be made public soon enough but it must remain secret for now. I questioned Pettigrew under Veritaserum and it seems he framed Black that day so Black is innocent of that crime at least. Both Black and Pettigrew will be put on trial within a month due to the extreme circumstances.” She paused, “I can’t share more at this point. Thank you, Mr. Potter, the fact that Pettigrew is not only alive but has been living as a rat in the home of a Ministry employee is troubling.”

“I’m glad I found him ma’am. It’s disturbing to know that a man has been sleeping in my dorm for two years without anyone knowing.”

“Indeed, Mr. Potter,” replied the Transfiguration teacher. “I think that is all we needed you for,” she glanced at Madam Bones and at her nod she continued, “You are free to go, I do believe you wish to find the twins as soon as possible?”

Harry grinned and stood, “Thank you, Madam Bones, Professor. Have a good day,” Harry grabbed Hermione’s hand and left the room walking quickly. 

Minerva sighed. “Do you really think that Mr. Black has been in Azkaban for over 11 years when he is innocent?”

Amelia shook her head, “That seems to be the case, Minerva, I just don’t know how it could have happened. That said, Kingsley is on his way to Azkaban as we speak. Sirius Black should be in a Ministry holding cell before dinner tonight.” 

“You know, Amelia, I always found it hard to believe that Sirius of all people would betray James. Being a Black by birth was the only thing that would explain it but I knew that boy for seven years while he was at school and he could not stand his family's pure blood dogma.” She shook her head, “In the end I was forced to believe it due to the fact that Peter was dead and he was found at the scene. It still didn’t feel right but I let myself believe the official story.”

“I think a lot of people will be questioning themselves if this turns out like I think it will, Minerva, all we can do at this point is right the wrong and get him healthy again. I just hope Azkaban hasn’t destroyed his mind.”

**Hogwarts, Fifth Floor**

“Harry,” Hermione called to her rushing friend. “Where are we going?”

“To find the twins.”

“Well, yes Harry, I could have guessed that but do you even know where they are?”

“I have an idea.” He looked over his shoulder at her and realized he was basically dragging her down the hall. He slowed his pace and squeezed her hand. “They have a lab in an unused classroom on the fifth floor. With all the security measures put in place due to the chamber they haven’t really worked on any of their pranking materials so they were planning on experimenting all day.”

“They told you where their lab is?”

“Yeah, they did. I was surprised but they said that I acted more like a Weasley than any of their school aged siblings so I would always be welcome in their lab.” 

His grin melted Hermione’s heart. She was going to have to hug the twins, all Harry wanted was a family and that is just what the twins were offering him. “Lead the way Harry,” she smiled back at him. 

They arrived outside a class room on the fifth floor, Harry took a breath and started knocking in code.

Knock – pause – knock knock knock – pause – knock knock – pause – knock – pause – knock

“Seriously?” asked Hermione. The only response she got was a toothy grin.

The door opened a moment later. “Welcome, dear brother Harry,” said one of the twins, which twin Hermione wasn’t sure. “I see you remembered the secret knock, good job, and brought the fair maiden Miss Granger with you.”

“Hey Fred,” Harry said practically bouncing. “I’ve got news, sorry about not asking if I could bring Hermione but I just had to.”

“Relax Harry,” came from inside the room, “we knew when we told you where this was that you would bring Hermione, all we ask is that she doesn’t rat us out.” George grinned down at the pair when he stepped up behind his brother.

“I think ‘Rat’ was a poor choice of word brother dear,” said Fred, at least Hermione assumed Harry had been right.

“Quite right Fred, ‘Rat’ was definitely a poor choice of words considering our brother’s rat wasn’t really a rat at all.”

“Come in you too,” continued Fred, “so Harry can tell us this news he is so excited about.”

The second years entered the classroom following George as Fred shut the door. The second the door was secured Harry started.

“MY DAD WAS A MARAUDER!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is not a bashing story, despite what this chapter may indicate. If you are a fan of Ron, please wait until you read chapter five before abandoning this tale. He won't be a big character, but he will return.


	3. Reactions

**Hogwarts Fifth Floor**

“MY DAD WAS A MARAUDER!”

Fred and George both looked at the younger boy with wide eyes. They had honestly never seen him like this and never heard him sound so excited. 

“We just came from talking with Professor McGonagall and Madam Bones about Pettigrew. They talked to Harry about how he and Smethwick discovered the man, and in the process, he had to tell them about the map.” When the boy’s eyes widened Hermione continued quickly. “Both promised that as long as it wasn’t a dark artifact that endangered people, they would not take it from you.” They relaxed slightly. “When Harry said it was called the Marauder’s Map, Professor McGonagall said something about the Marauders haunting her even after graduating. Madam Bones said she remembered who they were from her final year and that everyone knew about the Marauders, Black and Potter being the most well-known of the four.”

“Wow,” said George.

“So, your dad,” continued Fred.

“Was a Marauder,” they said together. They looked at each other, their eyes alight. In some crazy twin way, they both thought they should be bowing to Harry for his connection to their heroes.

“Do you know,”

“Which one is he?”

Harry shook his head, “No, I don’t know which one he was. Maybe I can ask Professor McGonagall if she knows.”

“Or maybe she can put you in contact with the fourth member?” said Hermione. The twins looked at her. “Well they said that Pettigrew was a Marauder, as well as someone named Black and Harry’s father. Black was said to have killed Pettigrew so I assume he has been in prison, and I don’t think any of us wants to talk to Pettigrew so you could contact the fourth member, whoever he is.”

They were all silent for a moment. “I bet Pettigrew was Wormtail. Sounds like a great name for a rat.”

Fred nodded at his twin, “Yeah that also would mean that the cool names are still left for your dad.”

Harry beamed at the older boys. 

“Do you think that the others were animagus too?” asked George. “I mean Wormtail is a fitting name for a rat, so if his name had some connection to his animagus form then maybe the others are based on their animal too.”

Hermione looked to the twin, “You could be right, George.”

“Really Hermione, I would have thought you would have said there was no way as they weren’t registered.” Fred smirked at the girl.

“Pettigrew was never registered and if they were all animagus then they probably would have been attempting at the same time or one helping the others considering their ages, the difficulty and how long Pettigrew lived as a rat. Also, the map was made while at school,” she looked at the other twin, “Harry said you got the map from Filch’s office, so they would have been in school when he confiscated it. They would not have given each other those nicknames without knowing their forms so if one wasn’t registered then most likely none of them were registered.”

“My dad could have been an animagus,” Harry said in wonder, completely ignoring what was going on around him.

**Gryffindor Common Room, later that day**

Harry and Hermione sat in front of the hearth in the common room trying to guess what type of animal the nicknames Moony, Padfoot and Prongs might represent. Hermione’s best guess was an owl for Moony due to the fact that owls were generally nocturnal, and some type of cat for Padfoot. Harry liked a dog for Padfoot but couldn’t come up with anything better for Moony. Prongs was stumping both of them.

“WHAT DID YOU DO YOU TO MY RAT, POTTER?” bellowed Ron coming down from the second-year boy’s dorm. Had Harry not known the voice he would have sworn it was Malfoy based on the venom behind the exclamation of his name.

“I,” Harry started.

“I know it was you, Potter, no one else would take my things from me.”

“Ron, Scabbers wasn’t…”

Ron cut him off, “I don’t want any excuses, Potter, I just want my Scabbers back.” Spittle flew from Ron’s mouth as he spoke.

“Ron,” Hermione interjected, “Scabbers was an anima…”

“You would take his side. Precious Harry Potter, everyone takes his side because he doesn’t have parents. Even McGonagall, trying to tell me my rat was an animagus.”

“RON,” gasped Hermione.

Harry’s mouth fell open and he didn’t know what to say.

“Something wrong little, Ronny-kins?” asked Fred with a stony look on his face.

“Yeah, little brother, are you yelling at our favorite little bro Harry here because he discovered your rat was in fact an animagus?” added George.

“Personally,” said Fred, “I would find it incredibly creepy and disturbing to find out a man in his 30s had been sleeping in my bed, even if he was a rat at the time.”

By this point Fred and George were flanking Harry and Hermione.

Hermione was gripping Harry’s hand so tightly she was grinding his bones together, but he didn’t feel it. How could his first friend act like this? After everything they had been through together how could Ron accuse him of taking his pet for no reason other than to spite him?

“You need to stand down, little brother.”

“You are way out of line,” finished Fred.

“Oh, of course you would steal my family too, bloody perfect Harry Potter,” Ron said dripping with sarcasm. “You know, I wish you had just died along with your parent’s, then I wouldn’t have to deal with you talking all of MY attention.”

“Ronald Weasley,” came Professor McGonagall’s outraged voice. Every head turned to the portrait whole to see a heavily breathing Neville Longbottom standing next to their Head of House. “You are coming with me, I’ll be Flooing your parents to pick you up, as there isn’t enough school left to suspend you or give you detention for the proper amount of time for wishing a member of your family dead, I will just have to let your mother decide how to deal with you. You will also be on probation next year, that is if your mother lets you come back.” She turned to go, not even looking back to see if he would follow. If he didn’t, she knew Percy would take care of it.

As Percy dragged Ron out of the common room by his ear after the professor the rest of the Gryffindors just stood around in awkward silence. Ron had been glaring at Harry the entire time.

“Thank you, Longbottom,” said Peter Smethwick. The room was still silent and most looked utterly confused. “To clarify to everyone so that no one gets the wrong impression. The Weasley twins, Potter and I discovered an illegal animagus in the second-year boy’s dormitory, that rat was Ronald Weasley’s pet. All I will say is that this individual has been living as a rat for nearly 11 years and it was luck that we discovered him.” He looked at all his house mates, “If you wish to blame anyone you should blame me as it was my decision to remove the 2 pets in the room and take them to Professor McGonagall as a precaution. Longbottom’s Toad was returned shortly after, Weasley’s rat was turned over to the DMLE for questioning.” Smethwick turned to go to his dorm, “Oh and Longbottom, 5 points for thinking on your feet and getting a professor before things escalated.”

The students of Gryffindor shivered. There had been a man living as a rat in their house for the last 2 years? A few of the older boys, the sixth-year boys, realized that they too had been sharing a room with said man, the rat had been Percy’s first after all.

Dean, Seamus and Neville walked toward where Harry was now engulfed in Hermione’s arms, the twins still standing guard.

Harry and Hermione turned when Dean cleared his throat, “Harry, I would just like to say thanks, for everything really. We know you helped to fix the chamber thing and even though we didn’t know Scabbers was some bloke it is still a relief to know he isn’t in our room anymore.”

“Yeah Harry,” said Seamus, “I don’t know about anyone else, but I know you would never do what ‘he’ was accusing you of. You’re just too nice of a guy.”

“I think,” Neville whispered, “that maybe we should start over.” He looked at his roommates and Hermione, “as a year group we don’t really know anything about each other because from day one we all just split up and never really interacted with the other groups. We’re the Gryffindor second years, shouldn’t we act a little bit more like family?”

Hermione smiled at the boys; this is what Harry needed right now. People who would see him for exactly who he was. “I think that is a great idea. I say we start at breakfast tomorrow, we’ll all sit together,” she looked to where her roommates were standing, attempting to look like they weren’t eavesdropping, “all of us.”

“Sorry we had to take Trevor too…”

Neville cut Harry off, “I don’t care, Harry. Smethwick suspected there was someone posing as one of our pets, living in our dorm, of course the professors would have had to check Trevor and the rat.” He shrugged, “With Trevor’s love for disappearing he very well could have been the person. He is far too sneaky for a toad sometimes.” He grinned at Harry. 

“Well,” said Dean, “I don’t know about you guys, but I want to get to bed. Plus, there seems to be a line forming,” he said tilting his head toward the quidditch team and the Creevey boy.

“We’ll see you in the morning, Harry,” said Neville following Dean and Seamus out of the common room. 

Angelina was there a moment later pulling Harry into a hug despite the fact that he was still holding Hermione’s hand. Alicia and Katie flanked her and wrapped their arms around him at the same time. 

The twins looked at each other, then at Oliver and shouted, “Group Hug!” 

“Harry,” Angelina whispered just loud enough for her team to hear, “if you need anything don’t forget to come to us.”

“Yeah Harry,” Oliver added, putting a hand on Harry’s head, “your team is more than your house. The house is like your aunts, uncles and cousins, but your team is like your brothers and sisters. We can’t lose our little brother.”

Harry didn’t know what to say so he didn’t say anything, he just squeezed in tighter to his team, to his family.

Unfortunately, all sappy moments must come to an end, this one ended with a flash, a camera flash that is. 

Eight heads glanced toward the source of the flash and saw, through the dots of light still dancing in front of their eyes, Colin Creevey holding a camera.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it, the picture was just too perfect to pass up.” He grinned and then started toward the first-year boy’s dorm, “Night Harry, and thanks for getting rid of the creepy rat.”

Each and every eye followed the boy until they heard a door shut.

“Is anyone else wondering where he got the camera?” asked Katie.

“Yeah, I thought his was destroyed when he was petrified,” answered Alicia.

“It was,” Harry added, “it died for him, the insides were melted, and it puffed smoke when Professor Dumbledore opened it.”

“Weird,” summarized the twins in unison, causing the rest of the Gryffindor quidditch team to nod in response.

That was too much for Hermione Granger, she burst out laughing and couldn’t seem to stop, especially since the rest of their group started laughing too.

**Gryffindor Sixth Year Boy’s Dorm**

Fred and George slid into the sixth-year boy’s dorm with their signature silence and shared a look. The room was scarily clean; it would really suck to have their brother Percy as a roommate. Glancing at the individual decor around each bed they managed to figure out which bed their brother was currently sleeping in. 

Fred slowly slid the curtains open while George cast a silencing spell around the bed. They climbed on the bed and shook their brother awake.

“Percy,” said Fred, “We need to talk.”

The eldest Hogwarts aged Weasley blinked sleepily at his brothers, he would have scowled but stopped himself seeing the seriousness in his brothers’ eyes. He sat up and leaned against the headboard. “What is going on?”

“Three things,” continued Fred, “Ginny, Ron and Harry.”

Percy nodded for them to continue.

“We don’t know what Madam Pomphrey discussed with mom and dad about Ginny, but she had her head hijacked by a teen aged Voldemort.” George barely tripped over the name and both twins managed to hold their physical response in check. “Add in the fact that Ginny has been obsessed with Harry for years. We think Ginny needs help, a mind healer.”

Percy nodded, “Madam Pomphrey did suggest they at least get her checked. Mom was dead set against it, but I think dad plans to talk to one, he isn’t sure how to pay for it, but he plans to talk to someone at St. Mungo’s. Apparently, Professor Snape pulled him aside and told him that whatever she had was really dark magic, it really concerned dad that Snape was the one telling him just how dark it was and not Headmaster Dumbledore or Madam Pomphrey.”

The twins nodded, “Okay, we’ll leave that up to dad but if he doesn’t do anything will you help us convince him?” asked George.

“I had already planned to. Ginny hasn’t really been my sister all year and I am kicking myself because I didn’t do anything about it.”

Fred leaned forward, “Ron is the bigger issue. We don’t know what is going on with him, but he is like three different people and you never know which one you are going to get.” Fred sighed, “we thought befriending Harry would be a good thing, our selfish little brother seemed to be growing up. Yeah, every once and a while you would see the little brat again, but it was getting less as time went on. But recently he seems to be back sliding.”

“The night Ginny was taken we had selfish Ron back because Harry disagreed with his plan. The next morning it was selfish Ron pouting. Now we’ve got something entirely new and a whole lot worse. I miss the kid that seemed to be growing up.” George ran a hand through his hair. 

“We aren’t sure what’s wrong, but we think that Ron might need that mind healer too.” Fred looked at Percy as seriously as he had ever been, “hopefully this new Ron has something to do with what Lockhart did to him.”

Percy nodded, he agreed with everything the twins were saying to a point. Their idea that Lockhart had somehow caused this new attitude was intriguing, unlikely but still intriguing. It gave Percy hope that his brother wasn’t just a horribly selfish individual with no hope of holding a friendship. “I’ll talk to dad and I think I’ll owl Bill and see what he thinks and if there is anything he can do.” The twins nodded, “Now, what has Harry done that would cause you to talk to me at two in the morning?”

“Well,” said Fred, “It’s not so much something Harry has done as it is things that are happening to Harry.”

“Do you remember how we took the car to pick Harry up last summer?” asked George. At Percy’s nod he continued, “We know mom and dad think we made up the story about his relatives locking him in his room, bars on the windows and feeding him through a cat flap in the door but…”

“It was all true wasn’t it?”

They didn’t have to nod; Percy knew from the looks on their faces. “Harry has been more like a brother to us than Ron since he joined the quidditch team, what concerns us is that even the smallest act of kindness surprises him.” Fred’s eyes were sad at the admission.

“We showed him something we ‘found’ that may have belonged to his dad and he looks at it like it’s the coolest thing in the world, and it’s basically a ratty piece of parchment.” George smiled slightly, “an awesome piece of parchment but still parchment.”

“He expected Neville to hate him too over the Scabbers thing because Ron did, all because Smethwick took Trevor for testing too.”

“We don’t know what we can do, all we know is that Harry needs someone and he needs them yesterday.” George looked to Fred and his twin nodded slightly so he continued, “We can’t do much as we’re 15 but we can be the brothers he has never had.”

“Will you help us look out for him?” asked Fred. “We plan to talk to Oli and the girls too, but we think you and Oli can do the most for him seeing as you are both 17 and can Apparate. So, you could check in on him easier than we could.”

Percy sat for a moment looking at nothing, seeing nothing. “Harry is the smallest in his year,” he said mostly to himself, “half the first years are bigger than he is.” How had he not noticed that? 

“He flinches,” at his older brothers searching gaze George continued, “When people he isn’t totally comfortable with initiate contact, he flinches. We don’t really notice it anymore and when we did, we didn’t see it for what it might mean because the only person who really ever touches him is Hermione but Angie hugged him earlier and he flinched, he did relax a moment later but…” he left it at that.

Percy sat up straighter, “The Weasley Family owes Harry a debt for saving Ginny and getting rid of that rat, but I would help you even if we didn’t owe him. He’s a good kid.”

“Thanks Percy,” said Fred.

“Yeah, Perce we appreciate it.” George grinned, “When they make you head boy, we will try not to tease you too much.”

“We will probably only call you ‘Big’ Head Boy a couple of times,” Fred paused, “well okay probably once a day but we’ll try not to be too hard on you.”

Percy frowned slightly at his brothers, “Thanks guys,” he said with a hint of sarcasm. “Now is there anything else or can I go back to sleep?”

The twins just held up their hands, slipped off the bed and made their way silently out the door, dropping the silencing charm as they went.

“Told you they were up to something.”

Percy rolled his eyes as he got himself situated, “Do me a favor and shut up, Oliver.”

Oliver Wood just snickered; he may not know exactly what the twins had talked to their brother about, but he had a feeling at least part of it was about his little seeker.

**Hogsmeade Station**

“Harry,” Harry and Hermione heard shouted over the crowd. They spotted Dean leaning out of one of the cars. “Over here, Seamus and I snagged a compartment next to the quidditch team.”

The duo wove through the crowd toward the tall boy. “Thank you, Dean,” said Hermione as she stepped onto the train, “Have you seen Neville yet? He lost track of Trevor on our way here and he said he would meet up with us.”

“No, haven’t seen him, but I’ll hang out here for a bit and see if I can flag him down.” He pointed down the corridor, “we’re in the third one from the end of the car, the team is taking up the last 2 compartments.”

The Gryffindor second years had taken Neville’s suggestion of starting over to heart. Their entire year group, minus Ron of course, ate breakfast together. Then, with classes being over and their end of year exams cancelled, they hung out all day just getting to know each other. It was funny watching the football crazy Dean argue with the quidditch mad Fay over which sport requires more skill and athleticism. Neville and Parvati both had an interest in plants, though the Indian girl preferred looking to touching. Hermione and Lavender bonded over hair care products, Lavender assured Hermione that she could control her wild hair. Seamus, being Seamus, liked to blow things up, he rarely did this by accident, so Harry suggested he spend some time with the twins; that suggestion scared Hermione. 

Harry just enjoyed re-meeting his year mates. When he started his first year, he had been so caught up in his first friend and so turned off by all the staring that he had allowed Ron to drive everyone else away. The only reason Hermione had managed to make it through the wall that Ron had become was that Harry saw too much of himself in Hermione. They were two lonely, often friendless souls, so he needed to give her some of what he had found. 

Realizing that his ‘friendship’ with Ron wasn’t a real friendship because he was the only one truly putting his heart into it had hurt. If not for Hermione and the twins it might have driven him so far into himself that he would have avoided making connections to save himself from the pain of having that companionship ripped away again. If not for Hermione, he might have started to believe his aunt and uncles words, he might have started believing that he was worthless, that he didn’t deserve anything at all.

“Is the next compartment over open too?” Hermione asked Seamus as she and Harry entered the saved compartment.

“I think so why?”

“Well, I don’t know if Lavender, Parvati and Fay were planning to sit with us but if they are, we won’t all fit in here.”

“Good point.” Seamus looked at her trunk, “let’s put your trunk in the next one over, that way we’ve saved it and we can have a ‘girls’ and a ‘boys’ compartment.” Seamus grinned, “Not that you would go over there but that way you have the choice.”

Hermione rolled her eyes but allowed Harry and Seamus to drag her trunk one compartment over. 

“Hey Hermione,” said Fay as she poked her head in the door. “Thanks for saving us seats, Seamus informed me that the girls get one compartment to themselves if they wish,” she rolled her eyes just as her house mate had. “How am I going to debate quidditch vs. football if we’re separated?”

Hermione laughed, “Honestly, Fay, I think this whole end of the car is going to end up being one big group going room to room. The quidditch team is in the other 2 compartments, along with Lee and I think Percy plans to drop in too.”

“Maybe we should just invite the whole house?”

“Can we leave out Colin?” Harry asked joining the conversation, “he’s a nice enough kid but I don’t think I can take any more pictures or questions. His hyper activeness gives me a headache.”

“We got your trunk stowed, Fay,” added Seamus, “Oh and Lavender, Parvati and Neville showed up.”

“Great,” Hermione bounced, “that means we're all here.”

“Who wants to play Exploding Snap?” asked Seamus. The group burst into laughter, Seamus and his explosions.

Sometime later, after a few rounds of Exploding Snap, Seamus’s eyebrows were singed, a rousing debate about Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans and a paper fight, the twins plopped down into the seats on either side of Seamus. Harry, Hermione and Neville were the only ones left in the compartment with Seamus. Dean and Fay had gone down to bother Oliver Wood about all things sports while Lavender and Parvati were having a girl party with Angelina, Alicia and Katie.

“My dear boy, Seamus,” started Fred.

“We have heard some interesting rumors about you.” George grinned at Harry.

“It has come to our attention that you have a certain affinity.”

“We have been informed, by some very reliable sources, that you have some skills we might find entertaining.”

“A little seeker told us that we have something in common.”

“Fred that was my line.”

“I forgot mine. Plus, I liked yours better.”

“Guys,” Hermione interjected. “could you get to the point?”

They looked at each other over Seamus’s head then back to the brunette. “Sure thing, Miss Granger.”

“We heard that you like to make things explode!” they said in perfect unison. 

Seamus blinked for a moment then grinned, “Who doesn’t?” As one every head turned to Hermione, “Well, okay, Hermione doesn’t but doesn’t everyone else?”

Hermione just huffed as Harry and Neville attempted to stifle their laughter. 

“My good sir,”

“We would like to discuss this business further,”

“So please,”

“Come with us,”

“To the Hogwarts Express,”

“Prank Headquarters.”

Seamus followed the twins out of the compartment leaving the quietest of the group behind.

“Does that combination terrify anyone else?” asked Neville.

“Blame Harry,” was Hermione’s only answer.

There was a knock on the compartment door a while later. The three looked up to see Percy standing in the door.

“Would it be alright if I came in for a bit and talked with you Harry?”

“Sure Percy,” he waved to one of the open seats in front of him, “do you mind if Hermione and Neville stay or is this private?”

Percy shook his head, “No they can stay.” He took a deep breath and started, “First off I wanted to apologize. I realize I’m not the easiest person to get along with. Oli has informed me that I have let my need to be the perfect Prefect get to my head and that I am an unapproachable berk.” 

He held up a hand when Hermione opened her mouth. “No, I have been rather horrible, before I was appointed Prefect, I still studied but the younger years weren’t afraid to ask me for help, now it seems they are.” He shook himself and looked down at his hands, “I would also like to thank you for all you’ve done for my family, Harry. Not only were you responsible for the rescue of my sister but then you saved my family from the man that has been living with us as a rat for the last 10 years.” He looked Harry in the eye, “It isn’t lost on me or any of the other older years that that man was sleeping in Gryffindor tower for the last six years. Whatever he was doing, whatever he was planning, it can’t be good, and you once again stepped in and saved the day.

“My roommates would like me to thank you for that too. They may not have been sharing a dorm with the rat for the last 2 years, but he was still in the tower and that was too close for anyone’s comfort. And finally, I would like to apologize on behalf of the family for the appalling way you were treated by my youngest siblings. Ginny needs to do some growing up and I will be speaking to my parents about that over the summer, but Ron’s actions are inexcusable. I will also be speaking to my parents about his attitude.”

“Percy, you don’t have…”

“Ah, here you are Potty, having a nice time with your mudblood and your squib?” Harry was interrupted by Malfoy. Unfortunately for Malfoy he didn’t think to look at who else might be in the compartment. 

“Well Mister Malfoy, I think that deserves a detention with Professor McGonagall the first Saturday of the school year.” Malfoy looked like he was going to argue, “I am still a Prefect and will be one come September. Your insults are against school policy and the proper course of action when a Prefect or teacher hears such slurs is to assign detention. As the school year is over all infractions witnessed on the train to or from Hogwarts will be dealt with at the start of the following term. Now move along before I add to your detention.”

Percy stood, “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to go write an owl to Professor McGonagall.”

Harry just sat in the compartment grinning while the other two bade Percy farewell, “Best train ride ever!”

**Hogwarts, Headmaster’s Office, After the Express’s Departure**

“Albus,” Severus said calmly stepping into the headmaster’s office, “I see you have gotten everything back to normal,” he glanced around the office, “or at least as normal as this office can ever be.”

“Ah, yes my boy, I am nearly caught up,” he said with a slight smile, “paperwork does tend to pile when I am not here to attend it though.” His blue eyes twinkled at the potions professor. “What brings you here this afternoon Severus, I would think that with the students gone you would be celebrating your months of freedom form, what was it, Dunderheads?”

Severus merely lifted an eyebrow at the headmaster. “I was wondering, Albus, if you had any idea as to what exactly that diary was,” he tilted his head toward the stained black book.

“Ah yes,” he said, his eyes dimming, “Tom’s diary. A foul piece of magic, but exactly what it is I think is best kept in the dark. Some things are too dark to share, my boy, and this is one of them.”

Severus gritted his teeth; the headmaster’s reply was not a true surprise, but he had been hoping for an actual answer. “Well headmaster, if you are not willing to share then perhaps, I can get you to agree to tell me if I am correct or not in what I believe it is. I have done some research and the conclusion I came to is disturbing to say the least.” When the headmaster said nothing and did not react, he continued anyway. “You see, headmaster I think that that diary was in fact a Horcrux. If that is a fact, then that explains how it was possible for the Dark Lord to survive with no body. It also brings me to the conclusion that he created more than one because the mark is still there, still very faint but there all the same.”

Albus Dumbledore sighed, looking slightly defeated. “My boy, this is not something I would have wished anyone to find, knowledge of these things could taint the soul beyond repair.”

“Headmaster, with all due respect, my soul is already tainted by the acts I performed in the service of the Dark Lord, I do what I can to balance the scales but there is no removing the taint. My knowing about these vile artifacts will change nothing save giving our side another individual who is looking for the remaining soul anchors. He cannot be defeated while even one of those things remains.”

“I suppose you are right my boy; it may be beneficial to have someone else looking for the remaining Horcruxes, I am not as young as I once was after all.”

“Do you have any idea as to how many he created, Albus?”

“Alas I do not, Severus, I can only guess and each and every guess I could make has an equal chance of being incorrect. All I do know is there is more than one.”

Severus nodded. “I will think on this and attempt to come to my own best guess. He would, I think, make his choice for specific reasons.” Albus nodded. “I do have one question though. Will he know that I was the one to destroy this Horcrux?”

Albus rested his chin on his clasped hands, “I do not think so my boy. This is only a guess, but I do not believe that the Horcruxes are capable of garnering any information past the point of their creation. At the time of the diary’s transformation into a Horcrux you were not yet born so obviously not one of his followers. I do not believe the host has any conscious connection to the anchors.”

“That was my thought, but Tom seemed to know that Harry was the subject of his downfall and that is not something he should have known.” Severus paused and shook his head, “Of course he could have easily gotten the information from Miss Weasley. She seemed infatuated with Mister Potter and if Tom did as I suspect and slowly got her to open herself to him then she most likely showered him with information concerning the boy, and he could have easily dug deeper at any mention of his fame, the title ‘Boy-who-lived’ is interesting enough that him asking about it would not surprise the girl, asking copious questions about me to ascertain my loyalties would be unlikely and highly suspicious.”

“Yes, that is what I think as well.” 

“I do have one other concern though. Does the soul piece return to the original or is it destroyed along with the container?”

“That is something we cannot know, Severus. When researching just how Tom could survive the loss of his body, I leant toward Horcruxes as the method. In all of that research I could find no cases where the wizard who created a Horcrux made more than one, the fact that Tom managed to is disturbing to say the least. 

“Any time a Horcrux was destroyed,” he continued, “the wizard was in wraith form and was never heard from again, so it was assumed that both soul pieces moved on from this plane at the time of the vessel's destruction. Whether the soul pieces joined or not was not even discussed because at that point it did not matter for the wizard had no chance of returning.”

“I see,” Severus drawled, “I shall have to be cautious if he does return, for if the soul piece reconnects with the host then he will know that I no longer follow him.”

Albus nodded and looked out one of the windows, he could see the Giant Squid splashing around in the Black Lake. “Your friend Lucius Malfoy seemed to know that the diary existed, though I do not think he knew what exactly it was.”

Severus raised an eyebrow, “Lucius had knowledge of the diary?”

Dumbledore nodded, “Harry indicated that before it came to Miss Weasley it belonged to him. His house elf seemed to be hinting at that as well.”

The potions professor started to pace the office. “If Lucius had one of his Horcruxes then perhaps other followers were given ones for safe keeping.” He started mumbling to himself, “but who would he give them to. Bella would be an obvious choice, which would mean the Lestrange brothers probably would not have been given one. Nott is a thought, but he really wasn’t at the same level as Lucius or Bella. Not the Carrows, Crabb or Goyle, they really aren’t intelligent enough not to accidentally lose them. Rockwood was nearly equal to Lucius in his eyes but his connection to the Department of Mysteries would make him a poor choice as well.” He stopped and looked to Albus again, “I also doubt he would leave them all in the hands of his followers, he would want them spread out and protected in vastly different ways so as to give them much higher chances in surviving in case he needed them.”

“I think you are correct, my boy. He would perhaps give another to a follower, say Bellatrix, but I do not think he would hand the others to his followers. I think his hiding places would be just as significant to him as the number he chose to make.” The headmaster shook his head. “There is much to consider, and I fear we will be unable to find actual answers anytime soon.” 

“How will we find his remaining anchors?”

Albus sighed heavily, “I am going to start tracking Tom’s life. I plan to search out individuals who he came into contact with before he became Voldemort and see what they can tell me. It seems a daunting and perhaps a fruitless task, but it is where I will start. If I can follow his movements, then perhaps I can learn more about the man and how he turned down such a dark path.”

“I will search my memory to see if I can discover something in my dealings with him that could lead us to a Horcrux or a free follower that might be able to provide us a clue.”

“Thank you, Severus. For now, this is all we can do,” the headmaster held the potions master’s gaze, “Let us hope it is enough.”


	4. Inquiries

**Transfiguration Professor’s Office, Hogwarts**

Minerva McGonagall didn’t know what to think. This past year had been absolutely horrible in many ways. The only bright side was that they no longer had to deal with Lockhart and Lockhart was wanted by the DMLE for questioning concerning his actions toward one of the students.

On the down side, she had four, possibly five students who had missed classes due to the Chamber of Secrets debacle. She wasn’t all that concerned about Miss Clearwater or Miss Granger, both were exceptional students that were often ahead on their course work, they could easily catch up over the summer, not to mention that they spent the least amount of time petrified. Mister Finch-Fletchley and Mister Creevey she was concerned for. Hopefully they could catch up over the course of the holiday or they would have to be held back a year. The Transfiguration professor didn’t know where Miss Weasley was in terms of her retention. She would be visiting each student with study guides the teachers had made in order for them to study the relevant material.

She looked up at the sound of something at her window. An owl was sitting on the ledge just outside the glass. Minerva got up and opened the window for Harry Potter’s snowy owl Hedwig. “Thank you, dear,” she said to the owl. She swished her wand and a dish of water appeared. “Have a drink, does Harry want a reply?”

The owl hopped down to the dish and took a drink, Minerva took that as a yes.

“Let’s see what we have here.”

_Dear Professor McGonagall,_

_I would like to thank you for all you did for me at the end of the year. Thank you for believing me. In the past, no adult ever believed me, even when my side of the story had more evidence, so you believing me and believing in my theory means a great deal to me._

_Now on to what I feel is the most important part of my letter. You had mentioned that my father was part of the group the Marauders, I was wondering if you could tell me more about him and his friends, or as Hermione suggested, get me in touch with the 4_ _ th _ _member of the group. I don’t know much about my parents, beyond that I look like my father and he played quidditch. I would love any details into who they were to add to the pictures that Hagrid gave me last year._

_I hope my request is not an inconvenience._

_Oh, and one more thing. In talking with some of the older students I think I made a mistake when choosing my elective courses for next year. If it isn’t too much trouble, I would like to take Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. If I can only take two courses, I would choose the first two. The reason I chose the courses I did initially is because Ron said taking those two would be easiest, while I still believe that to be true, I no longer want to take the easy route. With all of the strange things that have happened to me over the last 2 years I think I should be working to be the best possible Harry Potter I can and to do that I have to push myself._

_On that note I would like to apologize, I don’t think I have been putting forth my best effort in school. You see I am so used to holding back, I was not allowed to do better in school than my cousin and he was a horrible student, that I let myself float by. Of course, it didn’t help that all Ron ever wanted to do was play chess and talk about quidditch. I have come to realize that this is doing me no favors. Being famous for living is not my goal in life; I would like to be recognized for my own merits someday._

_Hmm, this letter has taken a rather depressing turn. I think I will leave off here. Thank you for your time and thank you for allowing me to change courses (I hope)._

_I hope you enjoy your holiday,_

_Harry Potter_

_P.S. I believe you will also be hearing from Hermione, Neville and Dean, who last I heard, also no longer want to take Divination. Thank you in advance._

The Head of Gryffindor house didn’t know how to feel or what to do. That poor boy.

She sighed, squared her shoulders and picked up her quill and a piece of parchment, she had an old student to contact. She would deal with Harry’s home life after she took care of some staffing issues and changed some schedules. If she went now, she would probably do some serious harm to some horrid muggles.

**An Island on the North Sea**

He wasn’t sure what day it was; it had become impossible to keep track. All he knew was that it had been years. Years had passed, locked in a cage with no company save the other prisoners and their jailers. The others who were locked up like he was were not great conversationalists; mostly they just screamed unintelligibly or moaned. The human jailers stopped by twice a day to deliver the slop they called food, the only reprieve they had from the effects of their other jailers.

He shouldn’t be there; of that he was certain. The rat was the one that belonged in a cage. Why had he gone after the rat? Why hadn’t he held tight to his godson and taken him home? Sure, Hagrid wouldn’t have given up on taking that sweet baby boy considering it was Dumbledore’s order but he could have gone with Hagrid or followed him.

Gods it hurt. The constant cold. Reliving his worst memories over and over. Knowing how horribly he had screwed up his life. Knowing his brother in all but blood was gone. Knowing it was his fault. Why hadn’t he seen the rat for what he was? Why didn’t he trust his poor cursed best friend?

His only reprieve, if you could really call it that, was when he changed into his other self. His sightless guards couldn’t tell the difference between him having two legs or four. All he had to do was curl up in a ball on the slab they assured him was a bed and wait for the never ending cold to lessen. When it did, he knew those with eyes were coming.

He lifted his shaggy head when he felt the cold ebb, it wasn’t time for a meal, he knew that with certainty because he hadn’t yet felt his stomach clench in emptiness, so why were they retreating? He returned to his normal form and sat with his back to the cold stone wall, waiting.

Much to his growing surprise one of the regular guards opened the door to his cell. A tall dark man in Auror robes stepped from behind the guard and into the cell. He kind of looked familiar.

“He is so calm,” remarked the Auror.

“Yeah, this one is an anomaly. The rest of them are either moaning or screaming abuse when the Dementors leave, this one just sits there and occasionally thanks us for bringing his meal.” The guard shook his head, “can’t explain it but somehow he is the sanest prisoner in this place despite being in the high security ward that gets the most Dementor traffic and usually the highest concentration of crazy SOBs.”

“Sirius Black, there has been a new development in your case, I will be taking you to the ministry for questioning immediately.”

It had been a long time since anyone had said his name. He had almost forgotten what it was. Slowly, for he lacked the strength to do it any faster, he got to his feet using the wall to support himself until he thought he could stay standing.

Holding out his wrists, knowing they would chain them he asked, “Do you think I could have a shower when we get to the ministry,” man his voice was hoarse, “I haven’t had one in years and I doubt anyone would want to be in the same room with me.”

The Auror cracked a small smile, “I’ll see what I can do, Mister Black.” He put the cuffs on the man, feeling a bit of remorse for doing it knowing what he did. “My name is Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mister Black, and you will be in my care until we reach the ministry, from that point forward you will be in the charge of Madam Bones, my boss.”

“Ami seems to have done well for herself then,” a ghost of a smile crossed his lips, “Head Auror or Head of the DMLE?”

“Head of the department.” Kingsley led the way out of the cell, “let’s get you out of here, Mister Black.”

“Later ladies and gentleman,” Sirius said as loudly as he could, which unfortunately was barely above a whisper, “I hope to never see you again. Enjoy your eternal hell.”

**Ministry of Magic, London**

Amelia Bones sat straight backed in her chair in one of the interrogation rooms. Kingsley sat in the chair next to hers and Sirius Black sat across from her, his hands chained to the table.

The head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was exhausted. She’d had little opportunity to sleep since Minerva had delivered Peter Pettigrew to her. With Pettigrew alive there were a lot of unanswered questions into what actually happened back in October and November of 1981.

With Black being captured at the site of his ‘death’, there were very serious questions about Pettigrew. Why would an innocent man stay hidden as a rat for 11 years?

When questioning Pettigrew, she was told a very interesting tale. At first, he had tried to stick to the original story; Sirius was responsible for all of it, his finger had been blown off when he tried to escape the spell. However, he changed his tune when asked why he hid as a child’s pet when the threat to his life was in Azkaban for life. The fat little man had admitted to cutting off his own finger, blowing up the street behind him and escaping down the sewers after that. This meant that Sirius Black had not fired a spell that day. It meant that Pettigrew had killed those 13 muggles.

If Black was not in fact responsible for any of those deaths, then why did they die?

It was not an easy tale to listen to. If Pettigrew was to be believed, then Sirius Black had been in Azkaban but his only crime was trying to outsmart the darkest Dark Lord in recent history. Peter Pettigrew claimed to be Lord Voldemort’s man inside Dumbledore’s merry little band of followers. He said that, on Sirius’s insistence, they had made Pettigrew the secret keeper for the Potters but told the world it was Black, the ultimate prank and if not for the fact that Pettigrew was the traitor it would have been a brilliant plan.

The little coward had admitted to all of his sins without Veritaserum, he had crumbled under Amelia’s glare alone. No wonder he betrayed his friends; if he couldn’t take her glare then he would have wet himself at the sight of Voldemort’s shadow.

This all led to the question, why hadn’t any of this come out in Black’s trial? 

Most of Amelia’s sleep deprivation was due to the fact that she had been searching every second she had available for information about Black’s trial. When she could find no reference to one, she had gone to the source. She had gone to Barty’s office in the Department of International Magical Cooperation and asked about Black’s trial, only to find out that Black had never been given a trial. Worse he had never actually been questioned.

Now she sat facing a man that, as far as she could tell, had committed no crimes but had been put in the worst prison known to man for over 11 years. It was due to this fact she had agreed to his request for a shower.

“Hello Mister Black. I hope you enjoyed your shower.”

Black shook his hair back and gave her a small smile, “I could use a shave and a haircut but being clean is a thing of beauty.”

Amelia nodded, fighting a smile at the man’s almost flirty attitude. “Well, the reason we brought you in is that we discovered some anomalies in your case.”

“And?” asked Black.

“I would like to ask you some questions about what happened back in late fall of 1981.”

“About bloody time,” Black breathed, “I have been waiting years for someone to ask me what happened.” He leaned back and grinned. “I would be more than happy to take Veritaserum if you would like me to.”

Oh yeah, thought Amelia, this man has got to be innocent. “For now, I will take your word but should this come to trial we will be using Veritaserum so that no one can question the verdict.”

Amelia leaned forward. “Mister Black, were you the secret keeper for the Potters?”

“NO,” was his simple, adamite reply. 

“Who was the secret keeper?”

“Peter Pettigrew.”

“It was publicized that you were the secret keeper, so why was that not the case?”

“I was supposed to be a diversion,” Black sighed. “He seemed absurdly focused on James and Lily so I thought that the secret keeper would be a huge target. I would never willingly betray James, Lily or Harry, so I made it so even under torture I couldn’t. I told everyone I was the secret keeper to keep them safe but also to keep the secret keeper safe. If they didn’t know who held the secret, they could never kill my friends.”

“What happened on October 31st 1981?”

“I had a bad feeling. I’d had one all day, so I went to check on Peter, but he wasn’t home. I couldn’t find him in any of his usual haunts so I went to check on James. When I got there…” Black shook his head. “My best friend was dead at the bottom of the stairs and Harry was crying. I could hear him. The fact that he was crying that hard told me that Lily was dead too.”

Black closed his eyes and rocked himself a few times. “I ran up the stairs and down the hall to the nursery. There she was laying on the floor in front of Harry’s crib. Harry was screaming and reaching for her. He saw me and called for me so I picked him up and held him close.”

“When did you decide to go after Pettigrew?”

“I didn’t plan to do it until Hagrid showed up. He demanded I give him Harry. ‘Dumbledore’s orders,’” he grumbled. “Knowing Hagrid and his devotion to Dumbledore I knew there was no way he would take no for an answer so I gave him my motorcycle so he could travel more quickly. It was when I watched Hagrid drive away with my Godson that I lost it.” He shook his head, “One of my best friends was responsible for making Harry an orphan, I think the rational part of my brain turned off at that point because if I were to do it over, I would have gone with Hagrid.”

“What happened when you found Peter Pettigrew?”

“I had cornered him, I was going to take him in as a traitor and follower of Voldemort but he started yelling all these things about me betraying them instead and before I could react, he cut off his finger, blew up the street and transformed into his rat animagus form. After that everything gets a little blurry. The next clear thought I had was when I was waking up in my cell, which is ridiculous because nothing is really clear when Dementors are around.”

“Just for clarification, but Peter Pettigrew was an animagus?” at Black’s nod she continued, “can you describe his form?”

“Yeah, yeah I can describe him. Wormtail looks like any fat garden rat actually, brown with black eyes. I suppose now he would be missing a toe on his right front paw.”

“Thank you, Mister Black,” she looked him in the eyes, “That all seems to match up with what we have gathered.”

“You said that there were some anomalies in my case, do you mind if I ask what they are?”

Amelia looked to Kingsley, he shrugged, “Mister Black, I tell you this only because I believe you, Peter Pettigrew was discovered posing as a student’s pet rat a few days ago.”

“Why that little…”

“Madam Bones,” interrupted an enraged male voice, “What is the meaning of this? Why have you brought You-Know-Who’s right hand man into my ministry?”

Amelia stood to face Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, “Minister Fudge, had you read the memos I sent you earlier, you would know that Peter Pettigrew was discovered alive and has confessed to betraying the Potter’s location as well as killing the muggles caught in the blast the day that Black was arrested. In light of this confession, I had Black removed from Azkaban, which is within the parameters of my job being the head of the DMLE.”

“This could ruin the ministry…”

“No, Minister, you aren’t concerned for the ministry, you are concerned about your job. What you need to realize is that Sirius Black appears to be innocent of all charges, but the only problem with that is he was never charged in the first place. Barty Crouch, Millicent Bagnold and Albus Dumbledore put Mister Black in Azkaban without giving him a trial so I can’t overturn charges.” 

“Hem, hem,” the person behind the minister interjected.

“Dolores Umbridge if you open your mouth to say anything other than ask when the trial date for both Black and Pettigrew will be set, I will arrest you for impeding an Auror investigation.” Amelia glared at the woman in pink, “No one is above the law and right now I am following it to the letter. Putting these men on trial should not reflect badly on you, Minister, unless you try to stop it. If you do as I say you will be seen as righting a grave injustice, which, if I am not mistaken, will do wonders for your approval rating.”

Amelia smiled sweetly at the pair, well as sweetly as the battle-hardened woman could. “Now, is there anything else I can do for you, Minister?”

The Minister appeared to be sweating under his green bowler hat. “Um, no Amelia, do let me know when you would like to schedule those trials, I’ll schedule a press conference and keep the people appraised.” With that Fudge and Umbridge walked out of the room.

When the door was closed tightly Amelia heard clapping. Turning, she saw that Sirius Black was using what little movement he had while chained to the table to clap. “That was beautiful, Madam Bones. I don’t think I have ever seen someone cut a politician off at the knees with that amount of skill and so little bloodshed.” Black let out a humorless laugh, “In fact, the last time I saw anyone cut off at the knees I actually saw my cousin Bellatrix cut someone’s legs off at the knees.”

“Mister Black, if your cousin wasn’t already in a cell for life down the hall from your previous accommodations, I would ask for details so I could arrest her and put her there.”

“Yeah, most of my family belongs behind heavily warded bars.” Unfortunately, that was the biggest understatement in the world.

**Small Inn outside of Paris, France**

He was tired, sore and all he wanted to do was sleep. He would be sleeping now, if not for the incessant tapping outside on the window of his room. 

Remus Lupin was going to kill the owl, for that was the only thing it could be considering he was on the 3rd floor of the inn. Okay, he wouldn’t kill the owl but he definitely wasn’t going to be nice to it. He had been out late the night before. Yesterday was the birthday of an acquaintance who happened to share a certain ailment in common with him. This acquaintance had not had his luck in terms of schooling so his life had been far rougher that Remus’s had been. It was due to this that he celebrated every year he lived free and relatively healthy. 

Unfortunately, that celebration usually involved a great deal of drinking, on account of the fact that it took a great deal of liquor consumed in a small amount of time for them to even feel buzzed. He’d had to essentially wrestle his acquaintance out of the pub because he was getting too rowdy and really hands on with a waitress. 

Remus hadn’t gotten back to his room until nearly sunrise.

The owl flew to the small table and extended a leg. Remus removed the letter, picked up an empty glass and filled it with an absentminded _aguamenti_. The owl hooted softly in thanks for the drink.

He recognized the hand writing; he hadn’t seen it in years and it warmed his heart. The writer was one of the people he planned to look up when he was finally home. It had been nearly ten years since he was last on British soil.

_Mister Lupin,_

_I am sure you find this correspondence odd after so many years so I will get to the point._

_First of all, congratulations on your Defense Mastery, I am now aware that this was awarded more than two years ago but word has only just arrived here. I came across your name when searching for individuals qualified to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, unfortunately we seem incapable of retaining professors for that position currently. In that regard I would like to offer you the position. I know of your character and know that your former teacher is one of the finest Defense Masters in the world, despite being from Asia he is respected by the British Ministry. Please consider taking the position, I think you would be good for the students._

_There has been some interesting news recently that I think will both shock and startle you. I do not wish to be vague but the news I think would be best delivered in person. If you are in the vicinity before June 13_ _ th _ _please come, see me so that I might explain things to you in a way that I hope will be helpful and less confusing to you._

_Finally, the most important reason for my owl. I recently received a letter from a student wishing to learn more about his parents. He knows nothing of them for they died when he was quite young and unfortunately his relatives have chosen to keep all knowledge of them from him. In a strange set of circumstances, he came into contact with an ingenious bit of magic in the form of a map. It was later discovered that his father was one of the maps creators. The boy has asked me if I could put him in contact with the 4_ _ th _ _member of the group._

_I am sure that you now realize that the boy I speak of is Harry Potter and that the map I speak of is in fact the Marauder’s Map. I hope you consent to at least owling with the boy. He is a sweet and gentle boy that I believe is finally finding his place in our world. I think you could learn from each other._

_I hope to hear from you soon. Please consider my offer of the post of Defense instructor seriously._

_Yours,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts_

_P.S. The map is brilliant, though I wish it hadn’t been in the hands of two horrid pranksters before it found its way to Harry. I congratulate you on the sheer work and ingenuity of the map for I know it was by and large your project._

Suddenly, Remus wasn’t all that tired after all. He was going home, all but had a job and Harry wanted to talk to him. Things were certainly looking up.

**Paris, France**

Remus Lupin was headed toward the airport. It was much easier to travel by muggle means sometimes, especially when traveling into Britain when you wanted to keep something secret. 

He was walking down an alley when he felt a presence. He had never felt it before but he knew others who had, their description of the feeling matched what he was feeling, well almost. The others said the pull was much stronger and nearly impossible to fight, Remus however knew that he could walk away and not look back but he feared that if he did, he would regret it later.

Better to face him now and learn why Fenrir Greyback had sought him out.

“Why are you here, Greyback?”

“Now what kind of question is that my pup?” Greyback’s tone made his skin crawl. The forced niceness put his wolf on edge. “I came to bring one of my pups back into the pack.”

“I am not your pup, Greyback. In fact, I haven’t been a pup for quite some time.” So, it was the same reason he claimed with all the others he had turned and left to fend for themselves as children.

“Of course, you are, Remus Lupin. I am your sire so therefore I am your Alpha and you are a member of my pack. With enough time I may even make you a lieutenant, or if you’re good enough you could challenge for the position of my Beta.”

“You may have been the one to turn me but you are not my Alpha, I have no Alpha.” And, bizarrely enough, that was true. 

He had spoken to others that Greyback had turned and for them the only thing that kept them from bowing to his wish that they join his pack was distance and that usually meant fleeing to the Americas or Australia. The sire almost always had power over those he turned. Greyback didn’t lay claim to one of his ‘pups’ until they reached a point of usefulness. He approached some when they reached the point of no return, when they had no other option than to turn to the wilds and let the madness take over. Others, like Remus himself, he approached when they had reached some level of success despite their wolf. However, Remus now knew that his wolf had become an Alpha in the time between his first change and now. His wolf saw them as equal, so Greyback had no hold on the younger man.

“All of those I turn are mine, boy.”

Remus snorted, “You have to feel it, Greyback, your hold on me isn’t there. I may feel your presence but to me it feels as though you are a rival, not my Alpha. You changed me when I was a child, if you truly wanted me for your pack you should have taken me in then.”

“Had I taken you then you wouldn’t have gotten your fancy education at the premier school for magic, little boy.”

“Oh, I am aware. I wasn’t indicating that I wished you had taken me back then only pointing out that that would have been the only time you would have been able to sway me.”

“Children are of no use to me. Only those who survive into adulthood and find their path to flourishing with the wolf are of use to me. You, my pup, are probably the most impressive I have seen in many years, it is why I waited so long to seek you out. I wanted to see if you could do it. I wanted to see if a British werewolf could manage to complete the schooling for a Mastery. Nothing could please me more than the fact that you chose a Mastery in Defense. You are a prime example of what I can create, Remus Lupin.” Greyback spread his arms in mock welcome, “Join me.”

“I found my own pack, Greyback so I no longer need, nor do I want you.” Internally his wolf growled at the other wolf. His wolf was tired of this conversation. 

Greyback snarled, “Then you will have to be put down,” Greyback moved to strike but Remus was ready for him, turning on his heels, he Apparated out of the alley. He never heard Greyback’s very wolf-like howl despite the fact that the full moon was almost two weeks away.

**Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey**

It was early, but Harry preferred it that way. His only free time was before the sun rose. 

The window was open so that Hedwig could come and go as she pleased. Harry had managed to convince his aunt and uncle that she would be far quieter if she was allowed out to hunt as she pleased. 

He looked up at the sound of wings coming through the window, expecting to see his snowy owl but instead seeing a large gray owl. The owl hooted softly and extended his leg toward Harry.

“Thank you,” Harry said to the owl, “feel free to have a drink of water and I have an owl treat if you would like one.”

The owl turned and flew out his window without a moments' pause.

Harry looked at the envelope to see unfamiliar handwriting.

_Harry,_

_I doubt you remember me, but you once called me Moony. Well, something close to Moony since you hadn’t yet mastered the art of speech yet. I hope that name means something to you, Professor McGonagall had indicated that a certain map came into your procession recently and I couldn’t be happier about it._

_My real name is Remus Lupin and I was a close friend of your parents. I have been out of the country until very recently and now am here to stay. I would like to explain the reason you have not seen me since you were a baby but I feel that would be better done in person, please be patient with me on that account._

_Well, I suppose I should tell you about your parents. I met your parents as an 11-year-old first starting Hogwarts. We were sorted into the same house and I roomed with your father. There were 11 boys in Gryffindor so it was by chance that I shared a room with your father because there were actually 3 rooms for the first-year boys. Your father was a bright, fearless and happy young man. He was an only child, born later than is usual for a couple so he was more than a bit spoiled and sometimes he could be a bit selfish, but he was an incredible friend. James was a popular boy and it still surprises me that he chose to be my friend because he and I were very different, but perhaps his larger than life personality was just what I needed and my quiet, studiousness must have been what he needed. Though most of the time my influence was lost in the thrill of our pranks._

_Your father loved a good laugh, which is why he loved to play pranks on anyone and everyone. No one is perfect of course and with the way his parents doted on him, he sometimes took things a bit too far but I tried to steer him away from the truly cruel jokes others planned to play._

_James was a good student. He was a rare talent in Transfiguration and also did well in all his other subjects, though Potions was a bit of a struggle for him. He once thought he might want to be a curse breaker, because it sounded like a brave man’s job, so he took Ancient Runes; he took Care of Magical creatures because, like all boys, the thought dragons were ‘wicked.’_

_Lily Evans was the top Gryffindor of our year every single year so it was no surprise that she was made prefect in our fifth year and later Head Girl (it was an absolute surprise that your father was named Head Boy). Your mother was one of those rare people who could make friends in any house, and yes, she did have a close friend in Slytherin and a few acquaintances there too. She was a bright light in a very dark time._

_She had a gift for Potions, she was so good she could almost match the most gifted future Potions Master in generations. Her true calling, however, was in Charms. She was planning to become a charms Mistress and one day planned to take over for Professor Flitwick. Your mother decided to take Arithmancy and Ancient Runes in her third year, as did I, and she found them both fascinating._

_I think I shall leave this here. Please write back and ask me any question you can think of and I will attempt to answer. I hope that we can meet soon._

_I do hope you are enjoying your summer and please take after your mother in terms of getting your summer assignments completed sooner rather than later._

_Your ‘uncle,’_

_Remus Lupin_

_P.S. Have you tried talking to the map? If not, try demanding it tell you its secrets at some point, then claim to be the son of James Potter. I think you will find it highly amusing._

Harry read the letter three times before he scrambled under his bed and pulled up the loose floorboard. He had stowed a number of things from his trunk under the floor. His aunt and uncle wouldn’t let him keep his trunk on top of allowing Hedwig free passage and honestly, he was surprised they agreed to any of his requests. 

He pulled out the Marauders map and climbed back onto his bed. 

Harry took a deep breath, “Tell me your secrets.”

**Mister Padfoot would like to know who has the audacity to ask us to tell them our secrets.**

**Mister Moony is surprised that Mister Padfoot knows what the word audacity means.**

**Mister Prongs feels hurt for Mister Padfoot on account of Mister Moony questioning his intelligence.**

**Mister Wormtail thinks we should let the unknown individual speak.**

**Mister Prongs agrees wholeheartedly with Mister Wormtail.**

Harry smiled; okay this was pretty funny. “My name is Harry.”

**Mister Moony wonders why he does not give his last name.**

**Mister Wormtail wonders if he has something to hide.**

**Mister Padfoot wonders if Snivellus put this ‘Harry’ up to this.**

**Mister Prongs wonders if this is actually Snivellus.**

“No, nothing to hide really, I just wanted to see what you would say if I didn’t tell you my last name.” Harry paused, “I have no idea who ‘Snivellus’ is so there is no way he put me up to this, and I’m not him. In fact, a man named Remus Lupin told me to demand you tell me your secrets.” Harry smiled wondering what they would say to that.

**Mister Prongs is outraged.**

**Mister Padfoot has no words.**

**Mister Wormtail wonders what Mister Moony could be thinking.**

**Mister Moony is intrigued. He knows that he would never suggest such a thing without good reason. Mister Moony would like to ask for your sir name again.**

Harry smirked; this was fun. “I am the son of Lily Evans.”

**Mister Prongs DEMANDS to know who touched his precious Lily flower.**

**Mister Wormtail would like to remind Mister Prongs that Lily wants nothing to do with him.**

**Mister Prongs wonders if Mister Wormtail wants to continue living.**

**Mister Moony would like to remind Messrs. Prongs and Wormtail that only a portion of them resides in the map so Mister Prongs can’t actually kill Mister Wormtail based on this conversation.**

**Mister Wormtail is wondering what Mister Padfoot has to say about this.**

**Mister Padfoot is enjoying the show and would like to congratulate this ‘Harry’ on a well-played prank on Mister Prongs.**

**Mister Moony would also like to applaud Harry and now believes he knows the identity of the prankster’s father.**

**Mister Prongs DEMANDS that Mister Moony tell him who the bastard is.**

“Harry Potter, son of James and Lily Potter suggests that Mister Prongs not call himself a bastard.” Harry hoped he was right in believing that his father was Prongs and not Padfoot. He couldn’t see his father dating one of his friend’s ex-girlfriends, it was against the guy code after all.

**I married Evans…**

**I MARRIED LILY, I MARRIED LILY, I MARRIED LILY.**

**Mister Wormtail would like to remind mister Prongs that he is supposed to form all responses in a certain format.**

**I MARRIED LILY, I MARRIED LILY, I MARRIED LILY.**

**Mister Padfoot would like to congratulate Mister Prongs on finally getting Lily Evans to not hate him and in fact agree to first date him then marry him.**

**I MARRIED LILY, I MARRIED LILY, I MARRIED LILY.**

**Mister Moony would like to point out that he knew this before Prongslet told us his name.**

Prongslet. Harry liked the sound of that. Man, his father was a dork. 

**I MARRIED LILY, I MARRIED LILY, I MARRIED LILY.**

**Mister Moony found Mister Prongs’s response amusing at first but now finds it vexing.**

**Mister Wormtail found Mister Prongs reaction irritating from the start.**

**Mister Padfoot generally takes Mister Prongs’s side but has to admit that he would like his friend to stop repeating the same three words over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and…**

**Mister Prongs understands the point Mister Padfoot is making and would like to apologize for his behavior. Mister Prongs would like to point out however, that he has loved his Lily flower for years and is beyond excited to know that he will marry her in the future.**

**Mister Moony wonders when Mister Prongs will realize it.**

**Mister Padfoot is also curious to see how long it will take.**

**Mister Wormtail is confused, what has Mister Prongs not realized?**

“Mister Prongslet would officially like to say hello to the Marauders,” Harry hoped he had that right.

**I HAVE A SON**

**Mister Padfoot would like to congratulate Mister Prongs and the Lovely Lily flower on their son and request that he be godfather to the Prongslet.**

**Mister Prongs would like to point out that he asked Mister Padfoot to be godfather to his children years ago.**

**Mister Wormtail would like to say that it is not fair that Mister Padfoot gets to be godfather.**

**Mister Prongs would like to invite Messrs. Moony and Wormtail to be honorary uncles to the Prongslet.**

**Mister Moony would like to officially welcome Young Prongslet.**

**Hi son.**

“Hi dad,” Harry whispered.

“Get up, you worthless boy,” his aunt Petunia pounded on his bedroom door, “it is time to start breakfast. Vernon and Dudley will be hungry soon.”

Harry sighed, “Sorry, I have to go but I would like to talk some more later.”

**Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs wish to speak to you again and bid you Goodbye, for now.**

Harry smiled as he put the map back under the floorboards. He had met his father. Well, sort of. He may never be able to talk to his father but with the map he could talk to a small part of his teenage father. He would have to talk to Remus again before he talked to the Marauders again so he could formulate the best way to not let slip that his father was dead, Wormtail currently under suspicion of crimes and Padfoot in prison for murder when one of his ‘victims’ was alive. 

He had only been away from school for 3 days but he had a feeling this summer was going to be different. He had a feeling it was going to be the best summer of his life.


	5. Weasley Madness

**The Burrow**

Arthur Weasley stood at the bottom of the stairs waiting on the youngest of his children. “Ron, Ginny I need you down here now.” The head of the Weasley family didn’t know what to do anymore. Weren’t the younger ones supposed to be easy? He had thought he had seen it all after raising 5 other boys, 2 of whom were already adults on their own, one nearly there. And then there was the twins. He had thought Ron and Ginny would be easy after the twins, but apparently, he was wrong.

His little girl tiptoed down the stairs to stand in front of him. He didn’t know who this quiet, scared girl was. His daughter was a confident girl that would take on boys twice her size. His daughter didn’t jump when the stairs creaked or when Molly yelled at the wireless. The daughter he raised wasn’t afraid of the dark or terrified of going to sleep. His daughter hadn’t woken up screaming since she was four. 

When Ginny returned from Hogwarts, she did all of that and more. Now every noise terrified her and she woke up screaming each night. Not to mention the fact that she now turned on all the lights in her room when night fell and she tried ridiculously hard not to fall asleep. 

Ginny needed help. Everyone saw it. Well, everyone but her mother and Ron that is. Molly just said that Ginny would ‘get over it’ and that was that. Ron told Ginny she was a weak baby and that only idiots let others affect their minds. 

His youngest son, Ron, had never been the most well-adjusted boy in the world. Ron grew up in the shadows of his brothers and, as each of the other boys had picked their path in life rather quickly and were all successful in their chosen paths, Ron developed a huge inferiority complex. It didn’t help that Molly babied him either.

Those things were not the problem now though. Ron had always had a rather explosive temper but he was usually quick to forget what had angered him. Now however he was angry at everything and never had an explainable reason for that anger. In fact, he blamed the same thing, person, for all of his anger. Ron Weasley blamed Harry Potter for all his supposed troubles. Blaming Harry made no sense and it was never even possible for the boy to be responsible.

The Chudley Cannons lost their last match, it was Harry Potter’s fault.

Ron’s school books were second hand, he blamed Harry.

Ron failed Potions, his potions partner for the year was Parvati Patil, but of course it was Potter’s fault.

The Weasley family was poor, yes of course that was Harry Potter’s fault.

The twins played that prank on him when he was 5, turning his teddy bear into a spider, and the twins did this because Harry Potter told them to.

Arthur knew something was wrong, how could his son blame his friend for all his troubles? Molly’s only explanation was that Ron was just acting out because he felt embarrassed for asking Lockhart for help. That wasn’t plausible for Arthur.

“Ginny,” Arthur whispered to his daughter, “would you go stand by the Floo, I’ll be right there, I just need to go get your brother.”

“Okay, Daddy,” she whispered and walked to the fireplace with her head down and shoulders slumped.

Once Ginny was out of sight, he let the anger appear on his face. He marched up the stairs, being careful not to make too much noise, and to his youngest son’s room. 

“Ronald Bilius Weasley get downstairs right now before I ground you until you are a seventh year.”

“Of course, you're mad at me. It’s all Harry’s…”

“If you finish that sentence you will not like the consequences. Now get downstairs, we have an appointment with a healer at St. Mungo’s and if you don’t hurry, we will be late.”

Ron glared at him but started toward the door, Arthur heard him mumble something about ‘Potter’ but let it go as his son was moving and hopefully the healers would be able to tell him what had happened to his son.

**St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies**

Arthur was worried. His youngest two children were currently each seeing different healers and they had been for over an hour with no word. He left Ron with the Healer that specialized in memory charms, as Lockhart’s Obliviate spell was their best theory on what had caused Ron’s personality changes. Arthur had planned to stay with Ginny and the Healer specializing in possession and Imperius trauma. However, Arthur’s pacing had made Ginny nervous and jumpy so the Healer had asked him to step into the hallway. He was still pacing but now he wasn’t making Ginny nervous.

“Is there any word?”

Arthur looked up to see his oldest son Bill walking down the hall toward him. “Bill, what are you doing here?”

“Percy wrote to me about what was going with Ron and Ginny hoping I could convince you that this was necessary if you decided against seeing healers. When you made the appointments for them, he sent another owl to tell me they were seeing the healers today.” Bill leaned against the wall next to the door his father was pacing in front of, “I talked to my boss about taking some personal time and he offered me a temporary transfer back to the main branch, it’s a different job but it comes with a raise so I took it.” Bill grabbed his father and pulled him into a hug when he saw the man’s eyes shine with tears. “I’m here, dad,” Arthur nodded, “I can help out with bills and I can distract mom. Whatever you need, I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you, Bill.” Arthur pulled back and slumped into a chair. “I haven’t really known what to do since Percy cornered me the night they came home. I had always planned to bring Ginny in; Professor Snape indicated that it would be in her best interest but then Percy started talking about Ron’s new attitude.” He sighed, “I saw it almost instantly but your mother started in with her general ‘everything is fine’ attitude, trying to sweep everything under the rug because we can’t afford this. The thing is I don’t care about the money, I just need to make sure that my kids are okay.”

“Yeah, you do, dad,” Bill needed more information. “Can you tell me exactly what is going on with them, dad? How did these changes come about?”

“Well Ron is both easier and harder to describe. Essentially, everything in Ron’s life that he perceives as bad is now Harry Potter’s fault and I do mean everything. I heard Ron blaming Harry for the fact that the Cannons lost last night and they lose practically every match and have for years.” He sighed again, “Why he started to blame Harry is a mystery because until May 29th Harry was Ron’s best friend. The twins think it has something to do with their Defense Professor.”

“That’s what Percy said; something about Ron’s attitude taking a 180 degree turn the day after he got Obliviated by their teacher. In theory, it is possible that the Obliviate was performed incorrectly and instead of removing the information the caster intended it removed something else or a larger selection of memories.”

“I haven’t had a chance to talk to the healer yet but when I made the appointment, they did indicate that sometimes memory charms can go wrong, which is why they are only supposed to be performed by licensed Obliviators.”

“What about Ginny? Percy said she was possessed by a diary?”

“From what Ginny tells me, she found a blank diary in her caldron when we got back from shopping last summer, there was no writing on the inside but it did say ‘property of Tom Marvolo Riddle.’ She didn’t use it until she got to school, but when she wrote in it the ink seeped into the pages and ‘Tom’ wrote back.”

“The diary wrote back and she kept using it?”

Arthur shrugged, “I can’t explain it either, but your sister has always been so outgoing and fearless it probably didn’t occur to her that anything could happen to her.” 

Bill nodded. That was very true; Ginny had lived a charmed life being the only girl, nothing bad had ever happened to her because they all spoiled her.

“Then she started losing time.” Arthur continued, “She didn’t even realize it at first. When she did, she tried to get rid of the diary by flushing it down a toilet. Unfortunately, Harry Potter found it and she didn’t want him to figure out that she’d had it.”

“Because, for all she knew, Tom could tell Harry all about her crush on the boy.”

Arthur nodded, “Exactly, Ginny has been dreaming about Harry Potter since she was about five after your mother read her that first Harry Potter adventure story. She stole the diary back and she felt compelled to keep writing in it, her words. On May 29th the diary took full possession of her, made her write a message on the wall that said she had been taken to the Chamber of Secrets and would die there.”

“Harry Potter, Fred and George went to Professors McGonagall and Snape with a theory of where she was and then the five of them saved her. From what Madam Pomphrey and Professor Snape said, the diary was draining her life force, her magic, to resurrect the former owner’s teenaged self. When Professor Snape destroyed the diary her life force started to come back to her. Ginny was weak for several days but now she is magically and physically healthy.”

Arthur looked at his son after having looked down at his hands during his tale to find his eldest son white as a sheet and shaking slightly. “Bill?”

“You said it was draining her?” At his father’s nod he closed his eyes and shook himself. “And they are sure it is destroyed?”

“I think so, I didn’t get much detail from the Professors but the twins said the diary screamed and bled ink.” Arthur saw his son sigh in what appeared to be relief. “Bill, what is going on?”

Bill looked at his father, his eyes were haunted. “I may know exactly what was possessing Ginny and if I’m right then Ginny was being possessed by the darkest magic to ever exist. The fact that she is alive at all is a miracle. If I am right, the thing that had her is ridiculously hard to destroy unless the host is living. The Goblins have an extremely complicated ritual that will kill the thing inside but as far as I know wizards have no way to destroy them without resorting to equally dark magic, until now.”

“What are you talking about, Bill?”

“All Curse Breakers that work in tombs learn about those things. The Pharaohs of Egypt were obsessed with eternal life and continuing on even after death. It was then that a particularly dark ruler came up with a way to split his soul and store a portion of it in a vessel. As long as a piece of his soul was tied to this plane of existence, then he could not pass on to the next. With his soul tied to this plane, he could potentially find a way to get himself a new body, or the vessel containing a piece of his soul could drain another person and create a body out of the very life energy of that person. To split one’s soul is a terrible thing dad, only the darkest of wizards would ever consider it. This Tom Riddle, whoever he is, has to be a dark and evil person. He tried to kill my baby sister in order to cheat death.”

“What does this mean?”

Bill opened his mouth to answer when the door opened.

“Mister Weasley,” when Arthur started to rise, she held out a hand to stall him. She pulled up a chair and sat across from him. “I would like to talk to you before I bring you in with your daughter. Is this one of your other sons?” she asked, indicating Bill.

“Yes, I would like Bill to hear this too, he may understand more than I do.”

“I would like to start out by saying that I am certain your daughter will be fine; it is just going to take time for her to sort through it all. I don’t know what it was that was possessing her but what I do know is that it was the darkest magic I have ever come across. It’s not just the memories that she will have to work through, there is also a shadow that was never hers to begin with.”

“When you say there is a shadow, are you saying there is a residual effect of the possession over her consciousness?” asked Bill.

“Yes, there is a trace of a foreign magical signature that is falling over her mind like a shadow. This I can fix with a potion but it is going to be expensive, the ingredients for the potion are rare and I can’t and won’t prescribe any other potion to deal with this taint.”

“Don’t worry about the cost, we’ll manage. My brother and I plan to help cover any cost so that our brother and sister can get back to the way they should be.” Bill shook his head to silence his father, “Also, depending on what the potion is, I may be able to get it or at least some of the ingredients through the goblins at a lower cost.”

“Alright,” said the Healer, “I’ll get that information for you. I have taken readings on the magical signature as I would like to talk to some colleagues to see if they can identify exactly what it was that was taking possession of Ginny.”

“I would like to look at those as well if you don’t mind,” Bill added. He realized he was taking over for his father but he figured that his dad could use someone to take the reins for a few minutes. “The way my father explained the possession sounded similar to something we occasionally come across while investigating Egyptian tombs. I don’t know if seeing a scan of the after effects will tell me one way or the other but I would still like to see.”

“So, you’re a Curse Breaker then?” asked the Healer. He nodded, “Alright, here is a copy of the scan I took. Feel free to keep that, I’ll make more copies to send to my associates.” She handed Bill one of the sheets of parchment and handed the other to Arthur, “this is the potion I would like Ginny to take daily. For now, I would like to try just a week’s worth and reevaluate after she has taken the seven doses. If the taint hasn’t been nullified after the week, we can tweak the potion to increase the potency.

“Now, for her mental health. Your daughter is suffering from what the muggles have called PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I will not lie to you; this will probably be a hard road for her but we can help her. It is going to take time and the whole family is going to have to work with her. The good thing is she is talking. Ginny doesn’t like the way she feels; I get the impression that she was one of those fearless outgoing girls who could and would do anything but now almost everything scares her. The stress of what the possession made her do is causing her to turn away from who she once was because she fears this happening again.” The healer paused for a moment. “Ginny knows, as she told me flat out, that she will never do anything that stupid again but that doesn’t stop the fear. Logically she knows that ‘Tom’ is gone but when she sleeps, she can’t control the fear.”

“What do we need to do for her?” asked Arthur.

“I would like to speak with her three times a week for now. I am going to encourage her to seek out someone she trusts to talk to as well. She doesn’t really want to talk to me but she is pushing herself to do so because you said it would help her to talk to someone,” she smiled at Arthur, “Your daughter has a great chance of getting back to her old self, or at least close to it because she knows she can’t do this alone. Apparently, thinking she could fix everything by herself is what got her in trouble in the first place, at least that is what she says.” 

The healer handed Arthur a sheet of parchment. “I am going to prescribe a modified dreamless sleep for her to take for the next few weeks. It isn’t as strong and won’t induce sleep, all it is going to do is reduce her awareness of her dreams. She may still dream, but if she does it will be in a way that will allow her to observe instead of experience.”

She stood, as did Bill and Arthur. “Now, when you go in there, I need you to be supportive and optimistic, no more of that nervousness, Mister Weasley.”

“I don’t think there is anything to worry about, Ginny won’t even realize I’m in the room when she sees Bill. We didn’t even know he was home.”

The three walked into the room Ginny had been waiting in. She was at a table with what looked like her Transfiguration book and homework out. Arthur hadn’t even realized she brought homework with her.

Ginny looked up upon hearing them enter. Her face lit up with glee when she saw the addition to their party. “BILL!” she yelled happily and flung herself at her brother. 

The healer smiled as she saw who Ginny Weasley must have been before ‘Tom.’ “I don’t think you have anything to worry about with her, Mister Weasley.”

Seeing his eldest son swing his daughter in a circle, Arthur couldn’t help but agree.

**St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies (After Bill and Ginny Left)**

“Mister Weasley,” the Healer began, “I have performed extensive scans and a type of passive Legilimency on your son and I am disturbed by what I have found.”

Arthur frowned at the man.

“Whoever cast the Obliviate spell either didn’t know what they were doing or they lost control of the spell. I don’t know what they were trying to remove from your son’s memory but they took a great deal more than that memory.” He signed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I performed a full Legilimency scan and found your son’s memory torn apart; his mind has attempted to fill in the holes but the result is a mismatched patchwork quilt that makes absolutely no sense.”

“So, why is Ron blaming Harry Potter for every problem in his life?”

The Healer ran a hand through his hair, “I can only make a guess at this point but I think that your son was angry and blaming Mister Potter for something just before the botched Obliviation. The actual reason for Ron blaming Harry is lost but the feelings of anger and his belief that Harry is the cause remained. His damaged memory latched onto that one clear emotional thought and used it to fill in the blanks so that now whenever something doesn’t go his way and he feels anger, Harry Potter comes to mind. It doesn’t matter that Harry Potter could not have been the cause because now his mind associates anger and the injustices in his life with Harry Potter.”

“What can we do to fix this?” asked Arthur.

“I have requested a consult from an Obliviator and sent a request to the Department of Mysteries for an expert on memory and mind magic. In order to get your son to stop feeling this intense anger we need to reverse the Obliviation. That is never an easy thing but it becomes incredibly more difficult when the caster damages the mind of the person, they are Obliviating. I don’t want to move forward until I have the opinions of the Obliviator and Unspeakable.”

“What do we do until then?”

“I would like to observe your son and his interactions with other staff and patients; with your permission, I would like to keep him here at least overnight. The Obliviator should be here tomorrow at 1 and I should have an ETA on the Unspeakable by tomorrow morning. If you came by after work tomorrow, I should have more of an idea on what we need to do and we can reevaluate then.”

Arthur sighed, having Ron stay overnight would fix one problem. Ron seemed to be the biggest reason for Ginny’s fear at the moment because of his constant anger. He could discuss his options with his wife and eldest son without having to worry about Ron sending Ginny into a panic attack. “Alright, if you believe that is best then that is what we will do. All I want is for him to be happy and right now he is anything but happy.”

“Thank you, Mister Weasley, this should help. I can track his outbursts and see where his anger is most volatile. The more information about his reactions we have the better chance we will have of being able to rebuild what the spell destroyed.”

“I suppose I should say my goodbyes then?”

“I think that would be best. As bad as it sounds, I want to see him angry so I can rate the levels of his anger versus the justifiability of that anger.”

“I understand, my oldest son suggested that might be one of the options for Ron. I was sort of prepared for it.”

“Well then, let’s go make your son mad at you, or should I say Harry Potter?”

**Gringotts Bank**

Bill walked into one of the employees' only areas of Gringotts. He had asked for a meeting with the head of the Curse Breaking department and he was going to be just early enough to be considered on time. The Goblins preferred their human employees to be at least ten minutes early. Any earlier than that, then they were wasting time; coming in right at the appointed time meant you were not prepared for work, whether that was physically or mentally didn’t matter.

Bill had already had a meeting with the head of inheritance and what he learned had sent chills down his spine. The name Tom Marvolo Riddle had not been familiar to him and it was a strange name no matter how you looked at it. If the name was said without the middle name it sounded like a regular name, either muggle born or half-blood but when you added the middle name that changed. Marvolo was definitely an old pure-blood name, the kind of name that would have come out of those strict, magical-blood first, last and always families. 

Gorenak had ended up telling him that Tom Riddle was the son of Merope Gaunt and later changed his name to Voldemort. The goblin had then written out his full name, snapped his fingers and had the letters rearrange themselves to spell out ‘I am Lord Voldemort.’ How had wizards not known that?

Bill wasn’t sure if he was angry or sick. Voldemort had created a diary that, Bill thought, was keeping him from dying. That diary then possessed his sister and started draining the life from her. Bill decided he was both angry and sick.

“Come,” said Holgrind when his office door opened at the exact time Bill’s appointment was supposed to start.

Bill stepped into the office and sat without wasting any time. “Master Holgrind, may all your enemies fall to your blade.”

“May your vaults be filled with your enemy’s treasures, Mister Weasley,” he replied, sounding board despite the almost constant glare that painted his face. “What can I do for you, Curse Breaker Weasley?”

“Well, Master Holgrind, this somewhat ties to the reason I asked to come home and my acceptance of the transfer. My youngest siblings have had a difficult year at school, so difficult in fact that they are in need of treatment with mind healers.” The Goblin nodded for him to continue. “What I wanted to talk to you about is the fact that I think the self-titled Lord Voldemort created at least one Horcrux.”

The only reaction Bill saw was the goblin’s glare sharpening. “Explain.”

“My sister Ginny came in contact with a diary that once belonged to a Tom Marvolo Riddle. This diary wrote to her and slowly took possession of her, making her do things without her knowledge until everything came to a head on the 29th of May. It forced her to go to the fabled Chamber of Secrets where it started to drain her magic and life force in earnest. Two of my brothers were present in the Chamber at some point and said that a teenager was gaining a body, one that gained solidity as time passed.”

“Yet your sister lives?”

“I do not have the full story but one of the Professors realized that my sister must have been connected to the boy through the diary and attempted to destroy it. My brothers told me he cast a myriad of destructive spells at the small book but they caused no harm. Finally, the Professor stabbed the diary with a dagger. When he did this the diary screamed and bled ink.”

“Horcrux are generally not susceptible to physical damage.”

“I thought the same, but everything else points to the diary being a Horcrux.” Bill pulled out Ginny’s medical file. “I have never seen a medical scan of someone who has survived a Horcrux possession but the scans the healer performed on my sister show traces of extremely dark magic.”

Holgrind took the parchment from Bill and examined it carefully. “How did your sister come into possession of this diary?”

“My brothers tell me that Lucius Malfoy slipped the diary into my sister’s things.”

“What evidence do they have?”

“Harry Potter was warned by a house elf about dangers at Hogwarts. That elf was one of the Malfoy elves and it later indicated that Mister Malfoy was responsible for the diary after it had been destroyed.”

“A house elf in Malfoy’s service?”

“Yes sir.”

“Do you happen to know the elf’s name?”

Bill frowned, “No, I don’t but I can get it for you. My brothers have been in contact with Mister Potter almost daily.”

“Get the name to me as soon as you can. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. You may go.”

Bill stood, bowed his head slightly and walked out the door. It was rare for goblins to close a meeting in that manner. Normally, there would be an exchange of similar pleasantries as the beginning of their meeting. Had Holgrind not thanked him, Bill would be afraid of losing his job; instead he felt sorry for the next poor sob to come into contact with the goblin.

Once his office was empty, Holgrind rose from his desk and walked to the hidden panel that led out of his office. He walked down the long hallway and stopped in front of the outer doors of an office. The guards stepped forward in warning.

“I need to speak to Ragnok. Tell him it is a matter of Forbidden Magics.”


	6. The Trials We Face

**The Burrow**

Bill stepped out of the Floo and walked straight to the stairs. He needed the twins. “Fred, George,” he said while opening the door to their room. “I need to talk to you.”

“Sure thing, Bill,” Said Fred.

“What can we do for our dear older brother?” asked George.

“Did you know that Tom Riddle was Voldemort?”

“Yeah,” answered Fred with a shrug.

“Why didn’t you tell dad that? Ginny was possessed by Voldemort’s teenage self, that is not the kind of thing you keep secret.”

Fred and George looked at each other in confusion. 

“I don’t know.” George shook his head. 

“George, why didn’t we?”

“I…I just don’t know.”

“Can you talk to me about it now?”

Fred looked at George but his brother’s eyes were glassy, meaning he was in his own head.

“We ran into the Chamber the second we saw Ginny; we shouldn’t have but we did. She was unconscious and we couldn’t wake her up. Then some guy showed up and said that she was never going to wake up and Harry talked to him, trying to get everyone to leave before the Basilisk showed up. Harry called him Tom. Tom said that the snake wouldn’t come until he called her and then started ranting about how Harry killed Voldemort. Harry asked why he cared because Voldemort was after Tom’s time but Tom disagreed. He spelt his name out in fiery letters and had them rearrange themselves to spell out ‘I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.’”

Bill nodded, “Okay so you still have the knowledge and ability to talk about it.”

“Does dad know yet?” asked George in a distant tone.

“No,” Bill answered, “I only just found out from the Goblins this morning. I haven’t had a chance to tell him yet.”

“Let me try to tell him when he gets home.”

“Why, George?” asked his twin.

George looked at his brothers, his eyes more focused. “I can’t see us intentionally not telling dad about who Riddle was, it doesn’t make sense. We told Percy right after Ron went nuts in the common room so we would have told dad and if we didn’t Percy would have.”

“You told Percy?”

“Yeah,” Fred answered for his brother. “We went to talk to him about Ron, Ginny and Harry. We figured we needed help and Percy was the most responsible brother around, we figured having him as backup would be beneficial.” Fred scratched his head, “Percy was planning on writing you the next morning about helping us convince mom and dad to seek help from healers.”

“So why didn’t Percy tell me?” Bill muttered. He walked out of the room, the twins right behind him. He knocked on Percy’s door but opened it before he got an answer. “Percy, quick question. Why didn’t you tell me that Ginny was possessed by Voldemort?”

Percy looked at his older brother, then his younger brothers his eyes wide. “I meant to. I wasn’t going to put that in a letter because I didn’t want that to be seen by just anyone but I had a feeling you would find your way home soon so I planned to take you aside and tell you the second I saw you.”

“Why didn’t you tell dad?”

Percy just shook his head, his confusion evident. “I don’t know.”

“What are you thinking, George?” asked Fred. The situation was weird; Percy didn’t forget these things; but then again, he wouldn’t forget something this serious either.

“Compulsion charm.”

Percy’s eyes widened, “That could explain it.” 

Bill nodded.

“Okay, great, someone explain it to me.”

“George thinks someone put a compulsion charm on us to keep us from discussing Riddle’s other identity with people who don’t already know. Right?” he clarified with the other twin, when George nodded Percy continued, “We obviously are having no trouble discussing it with each other because all of us already know but we didn’t tell dad and that would have been one of the first things we would have done upon returning home.”

Fred nodded, yeah that made perfect sense. “So, in theory we could talk about this with Harry, Hermione and the professors but no one else.”

“Exactly,” confirmed Percy. “The question is who would do it?”

“Dumbledore,” was Fred’s immediate answer.

“Why the headmaster?” Percy asked shocked.

“We saw him the day before the express left and it couldn’t have been done before we told Percy which was really early last Tuesday. That leaves the rest of the day Tuesday and before the Express left on Wednesday,” answered George. “Of everyone at the school, the only people powerful enough to place a Compulsion charm on 5 students, especially considering how much raw power Harry has, are the professors and maybe a seventh year or two. The only ones that would be subtle enough are Snape, Flitwick, the Headmaster and McGonagall, maybe Sprout but that would be it. Of that list of people, Flitwick wasn’t there, McGonagall wouldn’t do it, and Snape wouldn’t see the point. Dumbledore on the other hand likes his secrets and underestimates our ability to properly judge when it’s okay to talk about something and when it’s not.”

Fred nodded along with his twins’ explanation, “I don’t think he likes us much.”

“How do we test the theory?” asked Percy.

“I run a quick scan on one of you and if I find a Compulsion charm, I try to remove it the simple way. If I can’t remove it the simple way then it was placed by a particularly strong individual which would limit the possibilities down to Snape, Flitwick and the Headmaster. Then I try a few more tricks and further eliminate candidates depending on what dispels the Compulsion”

“What do we do when we have our answer?” asked Fred.

“We talk to dad,” answered Percy.

Bill flicked his wrist and his wand flew into his hand from his wrist holster. “Ready, Fred?”

**Kitchen, the Burrow**

Molly Weasley loved her children. That is one thing no one could argue with. She devoted her life to making sure her children were well fed and had everything she could give them. Unfortunately, the Weasley family wasn’t able to live in the lap of luxury. They weren’t destitute by any means but Molly still wished she could give her children more, give them newer, give them better.

The mother of seven was both excited and furious. She was excited because her little Ronnie should be home soon. She was furious because he was left at the hospital all by himself last night. He was just a little boy; he should NOT be away from his mother for that long while not at school. 

She heard the Floo and assumed that was her husband and son coming home. When she didn’t hear a second flare she frowned. 

Arthur walked into the kitchen a few moments later. Molly turned, looked for her son and when she didn’t see him, she glared at her husband. “Where is MY son, Arthur?”

“Ron is being kept at St. Mungo’s. The Obliviator and Unspeakable want to set up a number of monitoring charms on him and watch his reactions.”

“And they can’t do that here?”

“No, Molly, they can’t. The Unspeakable was there when I arrived and he said that they have to spend as much time studying the way our son acts, thinks and feels as they can; if they don’t, they won’t have any hope of rebuilding his broken memory.”

“And how much is that going to cost us, Arthur? We need to buy Ron a new wand because the one family wand he was even remotely compatible with was broken. He also needs newer robes as he just keeps growing and nothing we have will fit him properly right now. I also feel terrible about the fact that his pet is gone so I was hoping to get him something, even if it was just a toad.”

“Isn’t our son’s mental health more important than his material possessions?”

“Well, of course it is, Arthur, but you know as well as I do that much of Ronnie’s happiness is tied to his material possessions.”

“You need to stop worrying about the money, mom.” Bill stepped into the room with Percy and the twins trailing behind him. “I already told you I would take care of all of that.” When she opened her mouth to object, he stalled her, “When I said I would take care of it I didn’t mean that I would be taking the entire financial burden. I have put a petition into the Goblins. The petition asks that Gilderoy Lockhart pay all medical bills charged to the Weasley family for the treatment of Ron’s memory based on the fact that it was Lockhart’s memory charm that caused the damage. There should be no trouble getting the Goblins approval because of the healer’s reports. The petition should go through much quicker than it generally would due to the fact that I am a Gringotts employee.”

“Thank you for that, Bill, but we still are going to be in the poor house paying for Ginny’s treatment. The potions alone will cost a fortune.”

“I’m aware of that too, mom. I am still working on how to get that covered. Unfortunately, with Lucius Malfoy on the Board of Governors we can’t petition the school to cover the cost of Ginny’s treatment.”

“Why not?” she asked outraged. “It happened at school. She should be safe at school.”

Bill sighed, “Because Lucius Malfoy could very well convince the other governors that the Weasley’s should be paying the school for the damages to the other students.”

“WHAT,” she shrieked.

“He’s right, Molly,” Arthur answered his wife. “Technically, Ginny brought the diary that possessed her onto school property. The fact that it is a dark artifact that caused the petrification of four students and the caretaker’s cat could be blamed on her. She was also forced to kill the school’s roosters and while not a huge cost on their own they add to the bigger picture. Malfoy is powerful and manipulative, and traditionally the board is very frugal so the chances of them paying a fortune to treat the student that unwittingly caused all of this is extremely unlikely. Plus, it’s the Weasley family, the head of the Malfoy family would never do anything to aid us.”

“Ginny would never…”

“Dad isn’t saying that, mom,” Percy interjected. “All he is saying is, that is how Mister Malfoy will present it to the board. The fact that the Headmaster didn’t do anything to stop it won’t endear him to the other Governors, Professors McGonagall and Snape don’t have the same kind of reputation as the Headmaster does, so they wouldn’t be able to help.” Percy shrugged, “the odds are stacked against us in this instance.”

The Weasley men watched Molly deflate slightly.

“Thank you, Percy.” Bill smiled at his brother. “I may have another option. I just need to talk to the head of my department again. If all else fails Charlie and I can actually get most of the ingredients for the potion at lower costs than St. Mungo’s so that will lower the cost to us considerably.” He didn’t mention it, but he was also thinking of finding someone other than the Hospital brewer to produce the potion. He was fairly certain he could find someone who would do it for cheaper.

“We will make this work, Molly.” Arthur gripped her upper arms and smiled sadly at her, “We always do.”

**Arthur’s Shed, the Burrow Backyard**

“What did you want to talk to me about that you didn’t want your mother to hear, Bill?”

Bill ran a hand through his long hair. He had let his hair fall free around his shoulders after dinner just to irritate his mother and amuse his sister. “I learned some disturbing information earlier today.”

“Go on.”

“I met with the head of inheritance because the name of the diary personality was nagging at me. The Marvolo sounded like an old family while the rest of it…”

“Sounds very muggle,” Arthur finished for his son.

“Exactly. Gorenak knew exactly who I was talking about. Apparently, Tom Marvolo Riddle is Voldemort.”

Arthur went ashen. “The darkest individual to grace our shores in generations was possessing my baby girl?”

“Yes.” Bill let that sink in for a moment, then continued, “I started thinking, so when I got home, I asked the twins why they didn’t tell us that Voldemort was possessing Ginny.” Arthur focused on his son, “Their only answer was they didn’t know why they didn’t tell you.”

“They knew?”

“Yes, they even told me the whole story of how they found out. The truly disturbing part was they told Percy.”

“And yet, Percy didn’t tell me. Why?”

Bill nodded, “George suggested a Compulsion Charm. Fred was sure it was Headmaster Dumbledore who cast it.”

“And?”

“All three of them were under very subtle and very powerful Compulsion Charms that basically made them leave out the name Voldemort when talking to anyone who didn’t already know his true identity.”

“So the headmaster cast the Compulsion?”

“I can’t be one hundred percent certain as I don’t know how powerful and knowledgeable Professor Snape is, but that would be my best guess.”

“After the conversation I had with Severus I can’t see him doing that. I understand him not telling me, when we talked, we were standing in the middle of the infirmary and Ginny was right there, but he made a point of informing me of just how dark the diary really was. He probably assumed that Albus would tell me when the kids weren’t around.” Arthur tilted his head a bit, “why did Fred assume Albus over Severus?”

“You know; I think in some strange way the twins respect Professor Snape. I got the impression they have a certain understanding with the man. Also, something about the Headmaster thinking they didn’t know how to keep their mouths shut.”

“I’ll deal with Albus. What was this other option you were talking about earlier?”

“I may be able to put forth another petition asking for compensation for medical expenses.”

“Who would you ask for compensation from?”

“Lucius Malfoy.”

“What, but earlier you said…”

Bill held up a hand to stall his father, “I don’t know anything for sure yet, but apparently Malfoy’s House Elf claimed that the diary used to be in Lucius’s possession. Goblins view House Elves differently than wizards, so they may take his testimony into account. The diary is also very dark and Goblins take great offence to things like that.” 

“When will you know?”

“Holgrind sent word that he would like to speak with Harry Potter and the Elf tomorrow. Fred is going to take me to meet Harry in the morning. We’ll take the Knight bus there and then to the Alley. Fred will Floo home when we get to the Leaky Caldron. Depending on how the meeting goes, I’ll either broach the subject with him then or ask for a meeting early next week.”

“Thank you, Bill.”

“You’re welcome.” The pair started walking back to the house, “Dad, any idea why the twins asked me to bring an extra robe with me tomorrow?”

“No idea, but when the twins are involved it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

**4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surry**

Harry sat on the curb waiting. Hedwig had been delivering letters yesterday and when she returned last night she had a letter from the twins and their brother Bill. Apparently, the Goblins wanted to talk to him about the Chamber incident.

They had a meeting at 10:00 with a Master Holgrind. Bill indicated that they needed to be at the bank at 9:45 to show proper respect so he should be ready for them at 9. Harry didn’t mind being ready early, he had been dressed in his best clothes, which were still quite horrible, and out the door and just after 8 so that he could avoid his family. 

It was now almost 9.

There was a crack and then suddenly there was a purple triple decker bus parked right in front of where he was sitting on the curb.

Fred hopped out of the lowest level and pulled Harry to his feet and into a hug. “Hey, Harry,” he pulled back and smiled. “Come on, Bill’s already paid for your bus ride and they are rather impatient to keep these stops as short as possible, so let’s go.”

Fred led Harry to the back of the lowest level. Oddly enough, there were no benches, only beds. “This is the Knight Bus Harry; it can take you anywhere in Britain but you have to deal with the rather jarring ride.”

“Why are there beds in here?”

“Not entirely sure, but George and I figure that the people who use it most are drunks who can’t pronounce their words properly so shouldn’t Floo, and it’s never safe to Apparate when you’ve been drinking, it’s far too easy to leave something behind. Beds are much better for drunks.”

Fred plopped down next to a tall redhead with long hair tied into a tail and an earring that looked like a tooth in one ear. “Harry, this is my oldest brother Bill. Bill, this is my new brother Harry Potter.”

“Nice to meet you,” Harry said holding out his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Harry, or should I say little brother?”

Harry grinned and fell forward into the Weasley boys when the bus started driving again. “Sorry, Fred,” Harry mumbled as Fred helped him sit next to him.

“No problem, Harry, like I said the Knight Bus is a jarring ride.”

“Harry, we are going to be talking to the head of the Curse Breaking Department, Master Holgrind. I just ask that you are respectful and truthful. Also, don’t show your teeth when you smile, it is seen as a threat.”

“Okay,” Harry said simply. “That shouldn’t be hard, I don’t lie unless it is to protect someone and I would never have thought to disrespect a Goblin, they seem like the kind of guys you don’t want to mess with.”

“That is a wise deduction, Harry. Most wizards don’t realize that Goblins control their money and if they get on a Goblin’s bad side then the Goblin might not fight as hard as he could to help in financial matters. Holgrind also wants to talk to the House Elf that you say told you about Mister Malfoy’s involvement, so when he asks just call the Elf. Okay?”

Harry nodded, “I can do that.”

Bill pulled out the extra robe he had brought with him, “I brought a robe I can shrink down for you for today, we thought you would want to blend in as much as possible.”

“Thanks, guys,” said Harry as he took the robe with some relief. It was really nice and in a really dark shade of green.

“I’ll resize it when we stop at the Leaky Caldron.”

The bus came to a jolting halt. “Leaky Caldron,” called the man at the front of the bus.

“Well, that’s us.”

“Good,” Harry breathed a sigh of relief, “I don’t think I like the Knight Bus.”

“Don’t worry I’ll take you home a different way, not many people actually do like the Knight Bus,” Bill laughed as he followed the younger boys off the bus.

**Holgrind’s Office, Head of Curse Breaking, Gringotts Bank**

“May you profit from your enemy’s failings, Master Holgrind,” said Bill when he and Harry entered the Goblin’s office.

“May you grow richer with every tomb you claim, Curse Breaker Weasley.” Holgrind looked to Harry, “thank you for coming, Mister Potter.”

“You’re welcome Master Holgrind and may you never taste your enemy’s steel.” He hoped he’d gotten that right.

“And may your enemy’s fall to your power, Mister Potter.” Holgrind nodded to the Curse Breaker, indicting his pleasure at the young man’s show of respect and acknowledging his employee’s effort. “Please sit. Now, I have asked you here because Curse Breaker Weasley brought evidence of a magic we Goblins find offensive and punishable by the Old Laws. We would like your description of events to see if this dark magic was in fact in use.”

“Okay, would you like me to describe what happened or would you like to ask questions?”

“Go ahead and describe the night as you remember it and if I have questions then I will ask.”

Harry nodded and straightened his shoulders. He told the whole tale, being as descriptive as possible. Harry gave credit to everyone but himself throughout his entire tale. “And then Professor Snape stabbed the diary and it screamed. Tom screamed too and then started fading away. When he faded, Professor Snape said that Ginny’s life was no longer being drained away.”

“Thank you, Mister Potter. Bill indicated that you knew where the diary came from.”

“Oh, right,” Harry blushed a little, he forgot about that part. “I had a meeting with the Headmaster the next day, he basically asked how I was doing, and while at the meeting Lucius Malfoy walked in. He seemed angry to see Professor Dumbledore there. Mister Malfoy also had his House Elf Dobby with him. Mister Malfoy and Professor Dumbledore were talking and Dobby was nodding at the diary and then at Malfoy. It took me a minute to get what he was saying.

“Mister Malfoy started to leave so I grabbed the diary, stuck a sock between its pages and followed him. I think I said I was returning his property, anyway, he glared at me and dropped the diary into Dobby’s hands. He never denied owning the diary.”

“You freed Lucius Malfoy’s House Elf?” asked Bill in shock.

“Yeah, I did,” Harry grinned. 

“Could you call the Elf, Mister Potter?”

“Sure,” Harry took a breath, “Dobby?”

There was a pop and a hyper House Elf bounced into view. “Dobby is being here, Master Harry Potter Sir. Dobby is so happy yous called him. Whats can Dobby do for Master Harry Potter Sir?”

“Hi Dobby, Master Holgrind would like to talk to you.”

Dobby turned, “Hellos Master Goblin Sir. Whats can Dobby do for Master Harry Potter Sirs Goblin friend?”

Holgrind raised an eyebrow in amusement. What a strange Elf. “Dobby, are you aware of the events that took place at Hogwarts this year?”

Dobby drooped slightly, “Oh yes, Dobby be knowing much about bad things at Hogywarts. Dobby’s bad Master be giving a scary book to redhead girl sos he could hurts her family. Dobby tries to protect Master Harry Potter Sir so Dobby tries to stop him from going to school.”

“The diary was the cause of all the trouble?”

Dobby nodded his head, his large ears flapping with his enthusiasm, “Bad Master says that he makes the Weasy girl do bad things. He says the Weasy girl would gets rid of the muggleborns.”

“How would he make the Weasley girl do these things?”

“Scary book be very dark and be making the Weasy girl do dark things. Bad Master says that dark book can probably kill the Weasy girl.”

“Thank you.” Holgrind nodded to the Elf, “I believe that is all I need from you, Dobby.”

“Ifs Master Goblin needs anything hes just need to calls Dobby.” Dobby popped out a moment later.

“You know, that little Elf would do anything for you, Mister Potter?” Holgrind looked to the boy, “I would suggest that you ask him to become your House Elf. He would be a loyal Elf and it will save his life; I can already see his mental status is not what it could be.”

Harry wasn’t sure what the Goblin meant by that but thought it best not to ask right then. He could ask Bill later. “I will definitely consider that, Master Holgrind.”

“Thank you for coming in, Mister Potter. I would like to have a word with Curse Breaker Weasley so I would appreciate it if you would step outside for a moment.”

Harry nodded, “May all your business deals yield a profit, Master Holgrind,” he said as he rose.

“May you live long bathed in the riches of your success.”

The Goblin waited for the door to close before turning his attention back to his employee. “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. The Goblin nation now feels that Tom Riddle has created at least one Horcrux. As you know, they are a forbidden magic so the bank will be taking measures to see that there are no more of these abominations. The Head Goblin has given me leave to inform you that all vaults will be searched immediately to verify that none of those things are within our walls. Should we find any, the vault holder will be fined heavily; if this does occur both you and Mister Potter will be given compensation for bringing us this knowledge. As it is, the Head Goblin may see fit to fine the Malfoy vaults due to Mister Malfoy having been the previous owner of one. Any and all vaults that have either Lord Voldemort or Tom Riddle listed as someone capable of receiving funds will be put on lockdown immediately.”

Bill bowed low. “Thank you, Master Holgrind. I did want to ask if it might be possible to charge the Malfoy estate for my sister’s medical bills?”

The Goblin grinned as wide as it was possible while still not showing his teeth, it was a rather terrifying grin. “I was hoping you would think of that, Curse Breaker Weasley. I took the liberty of filling out the petition forms for you. I could not file them without you asking but since you did, I’ll have you sign them and file them immediately.”

Bill smiled as he signed the forms the Goblin produced. Things were looking up for the Weasley family after all.

**St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies**

Remus Lupin stood outside the door of a private room waiting for the Healer’s permission to enter. 

His life had been turned upside down over the last week. He had finally made it back to Britain on the 6th, he had met Minerva on the 8th and had spent most of the 8th and 9th trying to get drunk enough to forget. Thursday, the 10th, he got things in order so that he was cleared for the full moon, which was Sunday the 13th. 

Remus was glad he had gone to Minerva when he had, the news for the trials wouldn’t make international papers until Monday the 14th, however with him in the country he would have read it in the special evening edition of the Prophet that was going to be sent out the day of the trials which, of course, was the 11th.

Minerva had told him all about Sirius and Peter. How he wished he had listened to the werewolf inside of him. Moony had never believed that Sirius would betray James but with all the evidence to the contrary he had ignored him. Not that he would have been able to do anything about it, being what he was, but he still should have listened to Moony. He still couldn’t believe that Peter, quiet little Peter, would betray them all, would betray James and Lily. Peter had worshiped James. 

It had been devastating to watch his trial. Both Peter and Sirius were put on trial earlier that day, June 11th. Peter, no Pettigrew had ranted about how he was a sidekick. Not appreciated, had no power, was the butt of all their jokes, it had gone on and on. Remus didn’t understand how he could have felt that way. No, Peter was not the most magically talented one of their group, or even the smartest, but he was not the butt of all their jokes, Sirius had ended up in that position most often because he liked to be the center of attention and didn’t care how he had gotten there. No, he wasn’t asked to do the complicated spells, that had been James or Remus himself; James had the power while Remus had the knowledge, control and the wolf strength to sustain him. Their group had always played to their strengths, it was why they had been so successful as pranksters and inventors. They had treated Peter like an equal brother but he turned on them. 

Listening to him rave about the promises of power and money for the ‘small’ price of betraying his friends to the Dark Lord had made him seethe in rage, Moony wanted to tear his throat out with his teeth. Then the traitor had laughed at how ‘poor pathetic Peter Pettigrew’ had tricked the ‘great Sirius Black’ by framing him for his crimes.

Peter Pettigrew had been given life in Azkaban complete with magic suppressing cuffs that would make it impossible for him to transform into his rat form. Not that it mattered, last Remus had heard, Peter generally needed a wand in hand to transform anyway, but perhaps he had finally managed to become proficient in transforming in the last decade. Moony didn’t think this was a harsh enough punishment but werewolves didn’t react as strongly to Dementors as ordinary humans did, Remus kind of liked the wolf’s suggestion that they cut out his tongue so he couldn’t scream, couldn’t beg, couldn’t talk.

Sirius’s trial had immediately followed Pettigrew’s. It had been much easier to watch and listen to, mostly due to the fact that Moony was elated. Moony was getting part of his pack back. 

Sirius’s tale followed much the same path as Peter’s in terms of what happened back in 1981. Sirius spoke of his need to protect his friends, his fear of being used to get them, and his plan to make himself a target in order to protect the knowledge of their location. It was heartbreaking to hear his devotion and realize his plan ultimately led to the deaths of those he was trying to protect all because their friend of 10 years had changed sides for money and power. 

The Minister had granted Sirius his freedom and would be giving him a hefty sum in compensation for his wrongful imprisonment. They would also be questioning those responsible for waiving his right to trial. Moony was in heaven and so was Remus. Seeing Sirius look over his shoulder and while looking directly at him, and grin was the most beautiful thing he had seen in years.

Now, a few hours later, he was standing outside the private room the Ministry was paying for so Sirius could get healthy again. 

The door opened, “You can come in now, Mister Lupin,” said the older man. He was supposed to be the best healer in terms of mental strain and trauma, being in Azkaban with direct contact from Dementors for just under a dozen years would certainly be classified as mentally traumatic, among other things. They had another specialist to deal with getting Sirius physically healthy.

“Moony,” Sirius said in a rather happy voice. “Get in here and give an old dog a hug!”

“You know, Padfoot, for once in your life you look worse than I do,” he smiled.

“Give me a few days and I’ll start looking like the dashing wizard I am inside, and you will look like you got run over by the Express.”

They grinned at each other; it was like no time had passed.

“Merlin, Moony it’s good to see you. I am so sorry I thought you were…”

“Don’t,” Remus interrupted his apology. “I understand, what with how others like me were flocking to him of course you would worry about my loyalty. I had been away so much of the time, following Dumbledore’s orders, that I was the only one you didn’t see regularly.” Remus shook his head, “You saw them every day, you saw Peter every day. Apparently, we all missed what was really going on. Well, all except our furry Alpha. He never really trusted the rat.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he refused to believe any of it. He is actually rather smug at the moment.”

“I am still sorry, Moony.”

“As am I, Padfoot, as am I.”

“So tell me everything, Remus. What have you been up to for the last 11 and a half years?”

Remus laughed, “Well, the highlights are that I got my mastery in Defense from one of the most respected masters in the world and I just got a job.”

“Wow, you’ve been busy,” said Sirius with a hint of sarcasm. Schooling, that was all he could come up with? “Who did you study with and what is this new job of yours?”

“Master Takada Hiroki of Japan, and I am the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts.”

“Moony, that is the perfect job for you!” The former prisoner was happy for his friend. “You’ll be able to spot students attempting to prank a teacher from a mile away. Not to mention you can impress them with how you deal with Peeves.”

Remus just shook his head. That was Sirius Black, instantly thinking of pranks.

“Wait, that means you’ll be teaching Harry. Have you met Harry yet? What is he like? I can’t wait to see my godson. I just hope he doesn’t think I am the reason his parents are dead.”

“Yes, I will be teaching Harry. No, I have not met him so I don’t know what he is like. Minerva said that Harry is the one who found the Rat with help from the map. The Minister and DMLE decided that it would be best not to include how Pettigrew was found as they didn’t want to put Harry in front of the public after the last school year. Minerva says he is a sweet, gentle boy and I got the impression that he doesn’t have a great home life. I think he will be excited to meet you.” He looked at his hands for a second, “I don’t know how to apologize to you or him for not having any contact with him until now. I’ve let him down.

“No, Remus you didn’t. If I know you, then you tried but a certain furry friend was a very large roadblock. They would have never agreed to let you take him on your own, especially as you wouldn’t be able to hold a job in this country due to,” Sirius shrugged, “well, you know, because of that.”

“I left because I thought perhaps outside Britain my chances might be better.”

“I know.”

They shared a look that spoke volumes. 

Remus pulled an envelope out of his pocket, “I actually have a letter from him, Minerva wrote to me and asked if I would consider writing to him as he wanted to learn about his parents. I wrote him a letter a few days ago and got his reply this morning but have yet to read it.”

“What are you waiting for? Open it, Moony. Come on, come on, come on.”

“Alright, Sirius, keep your shirt on,” he said as he opened the envelope.

_‘Uncle’ Moony,_

_Thank you for your letter. Wow my mom and dad were Head Boy and Girl. That is so cool. Now I definitely need to work harder in school so that maybe I can be Head Boy too._

_You said dad liked to play pranks, it made me think of the Weasley twins, they are HUGE pranksters and if dad was like them then that is really cool. The Weasley twins were actually the ones who found the map. Apparently, they got it from Filch’s office when they were first years. I have no idea how they figured out the password but they did._

_I would like to meet you at some point, Uncle Moony. So, I think that on top of talking about my parents maybe we should share a bit about ourselves too. You didn’t share much about yourself in the last letter except that you were the quiet one and you were a good student._

_I am sure you are wondering who really is Harry Potter? To be honest I’m not really sure who I am yet. What I do know is that I want to be better. Growing up, circumstances forced me to hold back academically, that stops now. I want to be a great student like my mom. Now don’t worry, I am not going to devote all of my time to studying. I am on the Gryffindor quidditch team and have been since first year. I play seeker and apparently, I am the youngest seeker in a century. We haven’t lost a match yet, well at least not one that I have played in, the team lost once when I was in the hospital wing._

_As I mentioned above, the twins had the map. They showed it to me not long ago because, well they thought I could save their sister. You see the Chamber of Secrets was opened, supposedly by the Heir of Slytherin, and at the end of the year he left a message that said Ginny was going to die in the Chamber. My best friend Hermione had been petrified but that morning I found a slip of paper in her hand that gave me the answer to the mystery of how students were being petrified. It was a basilisk. Anyway, they showed me the map so we could figure out where to go to find a competent teacher._

_A former friend had gone running off to get the fraud that was teaching DADA, (he obliviated the boy and ran like a coward) but the twins, Fred and George, and I decided to go to Professor McGonagall for help. It just so happened that our Potions Professor was in her office at the time too. Long story short Professor Snape killed the basilisk and we saved Ginny. She was being possessed by the diary of a teenage Voldemort._

_Oh, I hope this doesn’t bother you but the only reason we were able to save her and keep the school from closing is that I can talk to snakes. I didn’t know that I could because it all just sounds like English to me and I don’t even realize I am speaking it when I am. I am going to try and work on that._

_Um, I don’t know what else to say about me. I’m just Harry, really._

_So on to the questions. We guessed, that is the twins, Hermione and I guessed that you are all animagi based on the fact that George said that Wormtail was a fitting nickname for a rat, so are we right and what were your forms? If this is true, could you help me become an animagus at some point?_

_What was your favorite prank back in school?_

_When did my parents start dating?_

_Was my mom an animagus?_

_Do you know of any of my mom’s school friends that I might be able to talk to? It sounds like you were closer to my dad so I thought perhaps you might be able to point me in the direction of someone who was closer to her in school._

_What jobs did my parents have?_

_I did as you said and told the map to tell me its secrets. You guys were hilarious. From your letter I got the impression that the longer I held out on telling it my name the funnier it would be. I was right. My dad was a total goof. I told him that I was the son of Lily Evans and he got REALLY aggressive and ended up calling himself a bastard. After I told him that the son of James and Lily Potter was talking, he went on and on saying I MARRIED LILY repeatedly. The rest of you called him annoying but he didn’t stop until Padfoot said he was tired of James saying something over and over, only he said over and over about a dozen times._

_You were the brains of the operation weren’t you Uncle Moony? Map you figured things out before the others did._

_The coolest thing is that my dad said hi to me. In a way, I have now talked to my dad._

_Anyway, I wanted to talk to you before I talk to the map again. How do I talk to them without them finding out that 1) Wormtail is a creep, 2) Padfoot is in prison for killing Wormtail but Wormtail is not dead and 3) Prongs is dead? (I think it would be even worse if Prongs found out that his ‘Lily Flower’ was dead)_

_Oh, just had a thought, will the map even remember that I talked to it?_

_Another thing, is Padfoot really my godfather? Map dad indicated that he had asked Padfoot long before my parents got married or even started dating._

_Did my mom really hate my dad?_

_Well Uncle Moony it is rather late so I should get to bed. Please write back soon._

_Prongslet (Map you called me that)_

_P.S. I would love to get my homework done but unfortunately, I could only snag one book out of my trunk before my uncle locked it away under the stairs. I did finish my Transfiguration homework but will have to wait on the others until I have access to the books and assignments._

_P.P.S. I asked Professor McGonagall if I could take Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. I hope she lets me take all three but if not then I will be taking the first two. Just like dad._

Remus looked up after finishing reading the letter out loud. Sirius had silent tears running down his cheeks. “I want to meet him so bad, but he can’t see me like this.”

“I want to meet him too, Siri.” Remus put an arm around his ridiculously skinny friend, “He will love you, Padfoot, you just need to get healthy as quickly as you can so that he can see the man who survived Azkaban just for him.”

**4 Privet Drive, Little Winching, Surry**

Harry was in the front yard caring for his aunt’s flower beds. This was one of the chores he didn’t hate. It was a solitary task and he was rarely bothered by anyone while doing it, mainly because his aunt would kill anyone if her garden wasn’t perfect. Petunia Dursley knew that Harry Potter never did the things he was blamed for (well most of the things, she was aware he was responsible for the magical ones) but she really just didn’t care. She had, however, made it clear to her son that he was to leave Harry alone while he was in her garden working.

There was a loud crack, not unlike a car backfiring, and Harry looked up attempting to see who would dare bring a car that would backfire into the neighborhood, the ladies would run the poor sob off in less than a week. The only problem was there was no car. A few moments later Oliver Wood, Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, came walking down the street.

Harry waved, “Hey, Oliver, what are you doing here?” Harry brushed his hands off on his dirty pants, hoping they were a little less dirty. 

“Why else would I be here, Harry? I came to see you.” He walked up the driveway and stopped when he was in line with the younger boy. “Brought something you might want to see.” He held out a newspaper.

Harry took the paper and his eyes went wide. 

**Innocent man in Azkaban for 12 Years!**

**Sirius Black Framed by Former Friend and True He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Supporter Peter Pettigrew.**

The headlines were followed by 2 pictures, one of a fat cowering man the other of a gaunt smiling man. 

“The article goes into the trials a bit but all that’s really important is your godfather was sent to prison because the rat who was sleeping in Percy’s bed, then Ron’s bed, framed him for his crimes.” Oliver grinned broadly at Harry. “Not only did you save all of us from some perverted murderer you also saved a man from serving more time in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.” Oliver scanned the area and then looked back at Harry, “Go get changed, Harry, I’m taking you out for a bit.”

“Okay,” Harry said, holding out the paper for Oliver to take back.

“Keep it, I can get another if I want later.”

Harry smiled and rushed toward the house, “I’ll be right back.”

Harry was back 5 minutes later, showered and dressed. “You know, Potter, you didn’t have to take the fastest shower in history on my account.”

Harry shrugged, “I’m only allowed two minutes in the shower anyway and the longer I am in the house the more likely it is I will get saddled with a mountain of other chores to do before my uncle gets home.”

Oliver Wood tried to hide his frown. He was concerned before but only being allowed two minutes to shower? “You know Harry, one of these days we are going to have to have a talk about your relatives, I don’t think I like them much.” He would be talking to Percy soon. Someone else needed to see what he was seeing.

“I don’t like them much either, Oliver.” Harry signed, “I can’t wait to get back home to Hogwarts. So where are we going?”

Geeze, the kid thought his school was home. “Well, you and I may not like it much, but I have been ordered by the girls to take you shopping. Apparently, your wardrobe is ‘atrocious’ and everything you own belongs in a rubbish bin.”

“The girls are probably right, though I always thought burning Dudley’s old clothes would be much more satisfying.”

Oliver looked at Harry, he was wearing a pair of really baggy jeans, held up by a worn belt that wrapped around his hips twice and still had a slight tail of excess leather. His shirt was so large the neck would slide off his shoulder if he moved wrong. “The girls are absolutely right. I promise we will do something fun too but we really do need to get you some clothes that actually fit you. Then we can burn everything else you own at the barbeque that Katie is holding next week.”

“Sounds good to me but I don’t have any money on me, I need to stop at Gringotts.”

“No can do, Harry. This is an early birthday present from Angie and Alicia. They said that you are not to pay for a thing.”

“But I couldn’t…”

“Harry, what have you learned over the last two years?”

Harry sighed, “Never argue with Angie and Alicia, especially when it comes to clothes and gifts.”

“Exactly, Harry, and this little trip involves both so just go along with it will you?”

“Yeah okay, I’ll do as they say.”

“Alright,” Oliver said looking around as he led Harry into an alley, “take my arm, I am going to Apparate us to Diagon Alley, this may be a bit unpleasant the first time, so just try not to puke on my shoes okay.”

"I won't, Oliver, I've done this once before and managed not to lose my lunch."

Oliver smiled, "And away we go!"

With a loud crack Harry Potter left Privet Drive and the wards surrounding number 4 weakened.


	7. Taking the Next Step

**Diagon Alley**

Harry was having the best time of his life. It had been a few days since his shopping trip with Oliver and while he was not a fan of shopping, Oliver HATED shopping, he did love his new clothes. He and Oliver had shopped at both wizarding and muggle stores, this had been an order from Alicia, so they had shopped most of the day. Oliver had also treated him to dinner before taking him home again.

His aunt, surprisingly, hadn’t said anything. Harry assumed it was because her garden was perfect and she hadn’t had to feed him. Vernon was asleep on the couch watching television when he got home so, obviously, he hadn’t commented, of course his only objection would have been Harry coming back. Dudley was in his room at the time and didn’t even stick his head out the door, too engrossed in whatever video game he was playing at the time. 

Harry had decided he wouldn’t wear his new clothes at home. He figured that Petunia would ignore them but Vernon would not be happy if he saw them. Dudley, honestly, wouldn’t care one way or the other. So, Harry wore his terribly large clothes to do his endless chores; plus, there was really no reason to ruin the clothes that actually fit him.

Harry also called on Dobby. He did this the day after Oliver took him shopping. Bill had answered all the questions he had about House Elves while walking out of Gringotts with him. Apparently, House Elf magic depleted when they didn’t have a master. As the Elf’s magic leaked away, so did their sanity. Bill theorized that Dobby was the way he was because he helped Harry, which would be against his master’s wishes. Elves who disobeyed their masters kept their magic but lost their minds, which unfortunately led to the Elf being dispatched. Bill thought that Harry taking Dobby as his personal elf would not only save the little guy’s life but keep him sane too.

Dobby had been ecstatic to see his ‘Master Harry Potter Sir,’ and had wept with joy when Harry asked if Dobby would like to be his elf. Dobby’s exact answer had been, “Dobby be wanting nothing more than to be good House Elf for Great Master Harry Potter Sir.”

Taking Dobby as his Elf was probably the best decision he could have made. Dobby now made sure that Harry had enough to eat and helped with his chores. The little Elf had not wanted to let his Master work at all but Harry had explained that his aunt would just invent new work for him if everything got done when she wasn’t looking. So, Harry generally just kept up the yard then did his homework while Dobby tidied the house when Petunia wasn’t in the room. No lock could keep Dobby out so Harry was well on his way to being done with his summer homework too.

Harry was attempting to get the elf to not call him ‘Master Harry Potter Sir,’ but he feared that would be a long process.

Today the quidditch team, plus Hermione and Percy were meeting at Diagon Alley for ice cream and some shopping and then they would be going to Katie’s for that barbeque Oliver had mentioned. 

Percy had sent him an owl the night before saying that he would be at Privet Drive just before eleven to pick him up. Harry had been ready and waiting for Percy at ten. 

Now he and the twins were just walking out of Quality Quidditch, the Firebolt displayed in the store window was awesome, and headed to Fortescue’s to meet the others for an ice cream lunch. He was excited to see Hermione again.

He glanced back one last time to look at the Firebolt and promptly ran into someone who was also not watching where they were going.

“Oh,” Harry righted himself, “Sorry, sir, I was distracted, I can’t seem to stop looking at the new broom they have on display.”

“That’s quite all right, I wasn’t paying much attention either and I remember having to drag my friends out of Quality Quidditch Supplies when we were…” the man trailed off when he looked him in the eyes, “Harry?”

Harry would have sighed but he was trying to keep his irritation at people recognizing him due to his scar from being noticeable. “Yeah, that’s me, Harry Potter,” Harry held out his hand, “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

“It’s nice to officially meet you, Harry. I was just on my way to the post office to send you a letter actually.” He took Harry’s hand, “I’m Remus Lupin.”

Harry’s eyes widened in shock before he threw his arms around Remus. “Hi, Uncle Moony,” he mumbled into the man’s chest.

Remus wrapped his arms around the small boy a bit surprised that he would hug a man he had only just met through letters. “Hi, Harry.” Sirius was going to be so jealous.

Harry pulled back and turned to the twins who were more than a little shocked, they had never seen Harry initiate close contact like that, not even with Hermione. “Guys, this is Remus Lupin, also known as Mister Moony. Uncle Moony, I would like you to meet the pranksters who gave me the map, Fred and George Weasley, occasionally known as Forge and Gred.”

Remus chuckled at the flabbergasted looks on their faces. “It’s nice to meet you, boys.”

“We are not worthy,” mumbled Fred.

George tried to shake the fact that his body wanted to collapse on him, “It’s an honor to meet such a pranking legend.”

“If you want to meet the mastermind of most of our pranks, I’ll have to introduce you to my friend Padfoot, he and James were the brains behind the Marauders. I was more the one who made sure everything was going to work and that we didn’t get caught.”

“Well, that’s almost as important as the prank itself, right?” asked Harry. At least he figured it would be important not to get caught and nothing went wrong.

“Why of course it is, Harry,” said Fred.

“It’s actually the hardest part,” continued George.

“At least until you have a map of the school that shows the location of every person on the grounds. Then the not getting caught part is rather easy,” said Remus. The twins grinned at him.

“Would you like to join us, Master Moony?” asked Gred.

“We are just about to meet some friends for ice cream and would love to pick your brain.” Forge said, then he looked at Harry, “I am sure Harry would also like to talk to you. Not to mention you could meet the most important person in Harry’s world, the brilliant Miss Granger.”

The three watched as Harry blushed, “I would love to join you. I am quite interested in meeting all of Harry’s friends.”

Harry led the way to the ice cream parlor attempting to get the blush off his cheeks. He was going to kill Fred later. His thoughts of revenge were halted however as he was almost tackled by a brunette missile in the shape of his best friend.

“Harry,” Hermione shouted, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. “I’ve missed you. The only bad part about summer vacation is that I don’t get to see my best friend every day.” She pulled back and looked at him, “Oh, I love your clothes, Harry, you look very sharp with clothes that actually fit.” She saw the blush but just kept going, “I’ve heard from Professor McGonagall and she said that she was already altering our schedules and that we could absolutely take the three extra courses. She also said she was proud of us for rethinking which courses to take, I’m a little embarrassed that I was even trying to take all of them when I knew deep down I wouldn’t like Divination and, as a muggle born, Muggle Studies would be a waste of my study time.” She took a deep breath and finally noticed the man standing just behind the twins grinning at her and Harry.

“Oh,” she breathed, “I’m sorry, sir, that was terribly rude of me. I was just so excited to see Harry again that I completely lost track of my surroundings. I’m Hermione Granger,” she finished holding out her hand to the man.

He smiled at her in a very kind manner, “No need to apologize, Miss Granger. I am actually very happy to see that Harry has a friend that is excited enough to see him that they forget everything else. I am Remus Lupin,” he took her hand, “you may have heard my school nickname, Moony.”

“Oh,” Hermione bounced, and Remus chuckled, “Harry told me you had written to him in his last letter to me. I am ever so pleased that you wrote to him and just ecstatic to meet you.” She looked around, “You really must join us. You can meet the team and get to know Harry and, oh Harry, I’m just so happy.” She hugged her friend again.

“So am I, Hermione,” Harry whispered into her shoulder.

The twins introduced their new friend, and Master, to the group. Fred and George explained to the team that they had decided that Remus Lupin would become their pranking master so that he could impart all of his knowledge and expertise on them, they just hadn’t told him yet. They of course did this while he was inside getting ice cream with Harry and Hermione. 

For their part, the team was happy to meet someone who cared about Harry; they really didn’t care about the twins and their pranking plans.

“So, Moony,” Harry said as they sat down to enjoy their ice cream, “how do I keep the map Marauders from knowing all that bad stuff that has happened to them?”

“That is rather simple, Harry, the map doesn’t actually have enough of our personalities to remember anything. I studied up on the enchantments that make wizarding portraits work and, with a little help from James and Sirius, adapted it to the map but when adapting it I couldn’t get the same amount of sentience into the map. There is only just enough of the Marauders in the map to react to questions presented to the map.” He took a bit of his triple fudge ice cream, “The map may have most of our knowledge up until the point of the maps creation but our personalities are programmed a certain way and there is no extra room for it to store more knowledge so each time Mischief is Managed the map resets to the previous settings.”

Hermione leaned forward a bit, “so are you saying someone could have the same conversation with the map every day but the map would believe it was a new conversation?”

“Essentially yes. Honestly, the map having the ability to converse with the outside word was an afterthought. We spent about 2 years mapping the school and researching how to get the map to display everyone in the castle. I wanted to kill Sirius when he asked how future pranksters would know how to use the map if we didn’t tell them. This led to James’s idea of leaving portions of ourselves in the map that could tell the secrets to worthy individuals.” Remus snorted, remembering that time of his life. “They, oh so graciously, gave me 2 weeks to figure out how to add the enchantments that would allow this, then, at the last minute, Peter decided we needed a certain structure for the sentencing. It was a nightmare.”

“Tell us all about the Marauders,” the twins demanded in unison.

Remus looked at Harry and he nodded enthusiastically. “Well, the Marauders met our first year at Hogwarts. James and Sirius met on the train; they also met your mother on the train. James and Sirius had an instant connection despite the fact that their families were anything but friendly. We were all sorted into Gryffindor. Back then the class sizes were larger, but a lot of families have either left the country or are gone, so there were actually 11 of us and it just so happened that James, Sirius, Peter and I roomed together.” He smiled fondly, “James and Sirius loved to laugh and joke around. James was just a happy kid, Sirius used laughter as an escape from the life he lived at home. Peter and I were outsiders. I never made friends easily and Peter was intimidated by such boisterous personalities. Thinking back on it now, I realize that James collected all the misfits and made us a team.”

“Why would Sirius be a misfit?” asked Hermione.

“The Black family is a very old pure-blood family, much like the Potters, but unlike the Potters, the Blacks are almost always sorted into Slytherin. The occasional Ravenclaw but never Gryffindor. When his mother heard, she sent Sirius a howler that no one was able to laugh at. Walburga Black was a terrifying woman. Most of the house saw him as a Slytherin and the rivalry was getting dangerous.”

“That’s terrible.”

“Yes, it was,” Remus smiled softly at the girl. 

“When did you become the Marauders?” Fred was almost salivating.

“James and Sirius played their first prank on the school by setting off dung bombs in the entrance hall right before dinner the first Saturday of school. They got caught almost instantly. They played a prank a week, all amateur by our later standards, and they got caught almost every time. I happened upon them when they were setting up a prank one day and I knew a professor was right behind me so I pulled them into a passageway behind a tapestry I had seen an older student use and they didn’t get caught. Apparently, that meant that I was part of the team.”

“That is a much better way to become friends, wouldn’t you agree Hermione?”

She glared at the boy, “I actually don’t like thinking about that particular night. The smell alone gives me nightmares. Not to mention the fact that a certain green-eyed boy jumped on the back of a troll and shoved his wand up its nose.”

“And lying to the Professors doesn’t give you nightmares?”

“I’m pretty sure they knew I was lying, Harry.”

“Snape and McGonagall for sure but who knows what was going through Quirrellmort’s head.”

“Quirrellmort?” asked George.

“Didn’t Ron tell you?”

The twins shook their heads.

“You did know that Quirrell was evil and working for Voldie right?” asked Harry. When they nodded, he continued, “Well, it was actually more than that. Voldemort was growing out of the back of Quirrell’s head. That’s why he wore the stupid turban.”

“Didn’t we?” asked George after a moment of stunned silence.

“We did,” his brother answered.

The twins burst into hysterical laughing, one of them even falling out of his chair.

“What is so funny over there?” asked Katie. The team was actually taking up three tables. The girls at one table, Percy and Oliver at a smaller table and Harry’s group at the third and largest table.

“I don’t really know.” Hermione frowned at the twins. “Harry was just talking about how Voldemort was growing out of the back Quirrell’s head and then they started laughing.” Hermione shuddered when she said the name but if Harry and the twins could say it so could she.

“That doesn’t sound funny,” commented Alicia. Angelina and Katie nodded in agreement.

“Wait,” Percy interjected, “Harry, do you remember the snowball fight we all got in that year over the holidays?” Harry nodded, “Didn’t the twins charm snowballs too…”

“Pelt the back of Quirrell’s head,” Harry breathed out with wide eyes and instantly started to laugh too.

“So, let me get this straight,” Remus looked around the tables, “your Defense professor was a servant of the Dark Lord who should be dead. Said Dark Lord was growing out of the back of your teacher’s head, and the twin terrors over there,” he jerked his thumb toward the still laughing pair, “Pelted what would be Voldemort’s face with snowballs. Is that correct?”

“Add in the fact that Harry was the one to get rid of him and you’ve got a decent outline of our first year,” Hermione said.

“I’ll come back to that part later, Miss Granger, but the snow balls are what we Marauders would have called the ultimate accidental prank.”

The twins stopped laughing to look at Remus. Their eyes asking for approval.

“A prank worthy of the Marauders,” Remus smiled.

“You really shouldn’t encourage them,” Hermione said as the twins started dancing.

Hermione could only shake her head as the rest of the group started laughing.

**Katie Bell’s House**

Everyone sat around a fire pit in Katie’s backyard. They had eaten hot dogs cooked over that same fire pit with crisps for dinner and now they were roasting marshmallows. 

Harry and Hermione sat on one of the benches, Hermione’s head leaning on Harry’s shoulder, his arm around her waist. They were talking quietly to each other.

Katie sat directly across from the two, just watching. She loved Harry like a little brother, the whole team thought of him that way. She couldn’t be happier for the boy, she just knew she was looking at the start of a great relationship, maybe even one that would last until the end of days.

She made eye contact with Oliver, the ‘dad’ of the group, and nodded toward Harry. 

Oliver looked at the boy. It was about time. Those two had been circling around a relationship for two years now and it looked like they might finally be doing something about it. 

He watched the girl smile and then shove a marshmallow into Harry’s mouth. She cleared her throat and said, “As you all know, a certain someone will be turning 13 next month. I think we should all get together to celebrate.” She smiled at all the nods she was getting. “My thought was for all of us to go to an amusement park. I know Harry has never been and I am sure some of you haven’t been either. Plus, with the way Harry rides his broom I’m sure he will love roller coasters.”

“Oh, I love amusement parks.” Katie shot out of her seat. “Which one did you have in mind?”

“Well,” Hermione bit her lip, “Thorpe Park would be good, it has a lot of rides and wouldn’t be too hard to get to.”

“Is that the one we went to last year?” Alicia asked Katie. The three chasers had decided they should get together once a month when not in school. They needed to keep in sync. Katie nodded, “Then I vote yes, that place is great.”

Hermione looked around, everyone seemed to think it was a good idea. “Okay, we are going to need some adults to come. I think my parents would agree to go with us.”

“I could ask our brother Bill,” said Percy. “He would blend in better than my parents.”

“Great, I was thinking of inviting Neville, Dean, Seamus, Fay, Lavender and Parvati as well so we should probably have at least one more adult.”

“Dean is muggle born and Seamus’s dad is a muggle too so maybe their parents would go,” Harry looked up at Hermione.

“If not,” Katie added, “one of my parents would go.” 

“Plus, Percy is basically an old man so he counts as an adult too.” Percy scowled at Oliver.

“Look who’s talking. You’re older than I am Oli. I just turned 17 last month*.”

Oliver threw a marshmallow at him in response.

Fred looked at George, “FOOD FIGHT!”

And the marshmallow battle began.

Sometime later Harry stood out under the stars thinking while the others slept in one of two tents. His life had turned upside down less than a month ago, all because he disagreed with his friend. 

He regretted that things with Ron deteriorated the way they did. He shouldn’t have called Ron a git, it was uncalled for. But Ron shouldn’t have accused him of not caring either. Harry didn’t think he would ever understand what happened to make Ron that angry, the twins had told him it had something to do with Lockhart messing up the memory charm, but even if it was a spell that caused Ron to see him as the enemy, he didn’t think he could trust Ron again. Too much had been said. The rift was just too big.

Now he had so much more. He had more friends. He had people he considered family. There were people looking out for him now when all he had before was Hermione’s concern and Ron, when Harry even crossed his mind that is. 

Harry was learning a great deal about himself and was surprising himself daily. He knew without a doubt that he could not lose Hermione. It would kill him. He wasn’t entirely sure what that meant in terms of their relationship. He knew that Katie thought that he and Hermione were supposed to start dating but Harry wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. But then again, the thought of her dating anyone else was like a knife to the heart. 

He surprised himself while writing to Remus Lupin. He wasn’t usually that open with himself. Harry supposed it could have something to do with the fact that Professor McGonagall had asked the man to write; after she believed him about the Chamber, he supposed he should believe her too. It could also have to do with the fact that the man was his father’s friend and could tell him about his parents. Or maybe he just felt brave enough to take that chance now that he had a ‘family’ to support him if something went wrong. Whatever had caused his new openness, Harry was going to go with it. Why else would he hug a man he had never met in person?

“Is everything alright, Harry?” asked a soft voice.

Harry looked down from the stars and to his left to find his best friend standing at his side. “Yeah, Hermione, I think everything is more than alright now.”

She smiled at him and leaned into him. “I’m glad.”

“Hermione?”

“Yes, Harry.”

“Would you like to go down into the Chamber of Secrets with Professor Snape and I tomorrow?”

“You’re going back down there?”

“Yeah, Professor Snape wants to render the carcass for potions ingredients and sell off the rest of it. He wrote and asked if I would take him down there tomorrow. I want you to come, that is, if you want to.”

“Yes, Harry, I think I need to see this with my own eyes.”

The two stood in silence for a time. This, Harry thought, is what made her his best friend. They could stand there together, saying nothing, because nothing needed to be said. 

“Hermione?” Harry looked at her and waited for her eyes to meet his. “I don’t know what is going to happen and for perhaps the first time in my life that doesn’t scare me. I know that you are the best friend anyone could ask for and I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it. I don’t know what I want to do with my life or even what my options are. I am fairly certain that you have a plan all laid out, with several different alternatives to choose from should your interests change. I don’t know what it means that my godfather is a free and innocent man. I do know, I want to get to know him and I want him to know you too.”

“Harry, what are you trying to say?” she asked in a voice that trembled slightly.

“I guess what I am trying to say is that the only thing I know and understand is that I need you in my life. Hermione, would you be my Girlfriend?”

Hermione nodded and hugged Harry tightly, burying her head in his neck. “I would like nothing more than to be your Girlfriend, Harry Potter.”

**Headmaster’s Office, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry**

Albus Dumbledore smiled at Arthur Weasley when he stepped into his office. “Arthur, my boy, how are you?”

“Well, Albus, things have been better.” Arthur sighed. “Ginny isn’t taking the Chamber incident well and Lockhart destroyed Ron’s mind. They are getting help so all is not lost.”

“That is both troubling and a relief my boy. I am sorry that your children aren’t doing as well as they should, I regret how things have gone inside Hogwarts the last few years. There is something brewing and I fear times will grow darker before the light prevails. Now, what can I do for you, Arthur?”

“Albus, I find myself in the awkward position of asking you if you put my sons under a Compulsion charm that would prevent them talking about certain events?”

“I must admit to being confused by your question but will answer anyway. No, I did not put your sons under such a compulsion charm. I must ask, why did you think I did?”

Arthur studied the man, he seemed sincere and had looked shocked by the question. “I apologize for having to ask, Albus, but there are few wizards with the talent and power to achieve what they did. Bill performed a scan on the boys and found them all under Compulsion Charms and they were not easily removed. Bill had to work to remove them and my son is not weak. He has more power than both Molly and I, being a Curse Breaker at Gringotts basically tells the world he is powerful because they only take the best.”

“William couldn’t dispel the Compulsions the simple way?” At Arthurs confirmation, Albus frowned. “Has he dispelled all of the Compulsions?”

“No, he and Percy decided to leave the compulsion on Percy in case the twins were wrong. Bill took a copy of the scans and will be taking them to some of his contacts to see if they can track the signature. Percy thought that you might know the signature so thought that if you didn’t cast it you would want to undo one of the Compulsions yourself.”

“A very astute deduction by Percy. I would very much like to dispel the Compulsion on him to see if I do in fact know the signature.” Albus steeped his hands, “Was there anything else, Arthur?”

“Were you planning on telling me that my daughter was possessed by a teenage Voldemort?”

Albus froze. His mind raced back over the last few weeks, searching. He frowned when he didn’t find what he was looking for. How could he have forgotten? Was that all he had forgotten? “I must again ask your forgiveness, Arthur. I had planned to sit down with you and explain the incident in great detail, giving you all the information you would need in one sitting. Three of your children were involved in the incident and I trust you not to relay anything I would ask you not to share, so I truly was going to tell you everything.” Albus sighed, “I fear I am getting forgetful in my old age, and this is something I should not have forgotten.”

Again, Arthur saw sincerity in the Headmaster's eyes. His entire countenance seemed downtrodden. He seemed just a little lost. “Are you alright?”

“I fear my age is catching up with me. Perhaps I am trying to do too much. I will have to think and consider my options. It may be time for me to step down from some of my responsibilities so that nothing of such importance is again forgotten.”

Albus stood, “I think now is a perfect time to see to the Compulsion on your son. As long as he is available that is?”

“Of course, Albus. He and the twins should be home by now. They had a bit of a party at Miss Bell’s place last night.”

Albus smiled slightly, “We can use the Floo form here, these old bones sometimes object to the trek outside the wards.”

Arthur and Albus stepped through the Floo into the Burrow a few moments later. Molly stepped into the room to see who had arrived. 

“Hello, Headmaster.” Molly smiled at the man. “How are you?”

“I must admit I have been better, my dear. I am sure you know the sentiment.”

“Of course, is there anything I can get you?”

“No, I am just here to see Percy and then I will be on my way.”

Molly nodded, a bit confused, but left the room to finish up in the kitchen.

Bill and Percy walked into the room a moment later. “Hello, Headmaster,” the two said together.

“Hello, William, Percy. I would like to tell you both that it was not I who placed the compulsion on you and your brothers.”

“I had hoped, Headmaster. It seemed out of character, but the twins and I see things very differently and I must admit that they have been right an awful lot lately so I had my doubts.”

“Yes, I find myself in the uncomfortable position of underestimating your brothers. My experience with what happened with the Marauders left me wary of those who behaved in a similar manner to Mister Black and the twins so remind me of Mister Black and Mister Potter when they were in school. I regret the generalization for I know it was wrong then and now.”

“I would say I’ll relay your regrets but if I know my brothers they are listening and have already heard every word you’ve said.”

Albus chuckled, “I believe you are right. Now, would you allow me to dispel the compulsion?” At Percy’s nod he began. 

It was curious. The Compulsion was cast by someone very skilled and with a great deal of power. The caster was on par with William Weasley and could surpass most of his staff. Only Severus and Filius would find this opponent an easy win. Minerva would struggle to best him. The only trouble was, he could not place the caster. It was familiar but something was off. 

“Do you know who cast the Compulsion?” asked Arthur as he lowered his wand. 

“Alas, my boys, I cannot place it. There is both something familiar and something foreign about the signature. I will have to meditate on this.” He looked to Bill, “By chance, do you know if Mister Potter or Miss Granger had similar compulsions placed upon them?”

“I scanned both, Fred and George said they were the only others who would know the full story, but neither had a compulsion placed upon them. When I didn’t find anything with a surface scan, I asked Harry if he minded if I performed a deeper scan but still found no Compulsion or anything like it.”

“That is both curious and concerning.”

“I agree, Headmaster. I am taking my scans to the Goblins to see if they can shed some light on the situation or if they could attempt to locate the individual.” Bill looked around at his family, “could I have a word with the headmaster alone?”

“Of course, Bill,” Arthur nodded at his oldest son. “Come on, Percy, let’s go distract your mother.”

“If it would help, tell her that another of her sons has been awarded the position of Head Boy,” the headmaster smiled.

Percy’s eyes were wide, “Thank you, Headmaster.”

“You deserve it, Mister Weasley.”

“Come on, Percy, we should tell your mother so she can prepare a celebratory feast in your honor.”

Bill waited until his father and brother had been out of the room for a few minutes before casting a quick ward against eavesdropping. “Headmaster, I don’t know if you knew or not but I feel compelled to tell you that the diary that was controlling my sister was a Horcrux.”

Albus sighed heavily, “I suppose I should no longer be surprised when my former students hold knowledge, I would wish they didn’t. I assume this is something you learned about through your work at Gringotts?” Bill nodded, “I have been researching the darkest of magics in an attempt to find the reason Voldemort did not perish all those years ago and hoped the answer was not Horcruxes. When the diary landed on my desk, however, I knew it was the reason.”

“I have taken this knowledge to the Goblins. I did so because the Goblins take a very hard stance on such things. They will stop at nothing to rid the world of what they call the Forbidden Magics.”

“What are they doing?”

“They will be searching every vault in Gringotts for these items, from there I cannot say what they will do but I do know that anyone holding one will be dealt with harshly.” 

“You might suggest they start with the Lestrange vaults.” At Bill’s questioning glance he explained, “Severus and I know there is at least one more and if he gave another to a follower, we feel the most likely candidate would be Bellatrix Lestrange.”

“I will relay the message. Have you any idea as to how many he would make?”

“No answer I could give you would be any more accurate than any other number. I can say with great certainty that it would be under 10 soul pieces. I think it will be less than that but beyond that I do not feel comfortable speculating.”

“So, at most 9 Horcrux in total? If he did do that many, I would think he would wish to end with nine pieces so that would make 8 Horcrux. 9 is a fairly magical number. Many things come in 3s and 9 would be three 3s. Then again, seven is an equally magical number, but who is to say that you could split the soul six times so it could be 5 Horcrux to make six soul pieces.”

Albus nodded, “I went around the same path as you and could make no headway with my decision. I do think it unlikely he would hide all of his Horcruxes in the same manner so if one is found in a vault belonging to one of his followers then it is more likely that he made more than 2 Horcruxes but that is all I can say with any confidence.”

“I do have another concern.” Albus lifted a brow, “When I did the deep scan on Harry Potter, I found a large concentration of dark magic centered in his scar. I want to take him to the Goblin healers to see what they make of it.”

“I would have no problem with this Mister Weasley. Please, if you and the Goblins can remove any darkness that lingers due to the attack by Voldemort then do so.”

“Can I relay your willingness to help in this fight against Forbidden Magic to the Goblins?”

“Please, Mister Weasley. In this fight, I fear we will need as many hands as possible.”

**The Burrow**

Molly Weasley was singing along with the Wireless. Last night she learned that her son Percy was the new Head Boy at Hogwarts. She was so proud of her Percy. He was going to be just like his father and work at the Ministry, but her boy would go so much farther than his father. She just knew it.

An owl swooped into the kitchen and landed on the table. “Hello there,” she approached the owl and took the letter. The owl didn’t wait for a reply and flew back out the window. “Now what do we have here?”

_Arthur Weasley,_

_We at the Daily Prophet are pleased to announce that you have won the Grand Prize Galleon Draw! Congratulations. The Grand Prize totals 700 Galleons._

_To claim your Prize please present this letter at the Daily Prophet Offices by 5 pm on Friday June 18_ _ th _ _, 1993._

_Sincerely,_

_Archibald White_

_Editor and Chief_

Molly stood frozen in the middle of the kitchen, breakfast preparing itself. 

“Good morning, Molly,” Arthur strode into the kitchen. He stopped when he noticed his wife’s uncharacteristic stillness. “Is something wrong?”

She looked up and held out the letter for him to read. “No, Arthur, there is absolutely nothing wrong.”

**St. Mungo’s Hospital, Sirius Black’s Room**

Hospitals were boring. Like ridiculously boring. Sirius Black was going absolutely crazy sitting around in a hospital bed doing absolutely nothing. Sure, he was weak, until recently he hadn’t been getting three balanced meals a day, he had been getting two bowls of slop and some water, so he was underweight. He did suffer from nightmares, terrible ones that usually left him screaming or in tears, but what did people expect? He had been living in a Dementor infested hell hole for nearly twelve years. Yes, he looked like crap, little food and Dementors would do that to you. But did this place really need to be the second most boring place in the universe? The most boring place was, of course, his residence for the last twelve years.

So, to stave off boredom, he read newspapers. He read all the ones written in languages he could read, French and English. The French ones weren’t very amusing, like not amusing at all. The Prophet was filled with lies and boring crap. He liked the Quibbler. Now that was a paper worthy of a Marauder. Full of insanity with a snippet of truth hidden here and there. Plus, it made him laugh. But, alas, it was only published weekly so he was forced to read those regular papers most of the time. At least the Prophet had a Crossword.

Sirius looked up from his copy of the Daily Prophet when the door to his room opened. He smiled upon seeing Remus.

“Well, hello my old friend. You look a bit better than the last time I saw you.”

“The last time you saw me was the day after my ‘furry little problem,’ Sirius.”

“This is true,” he grinned. “What’s with the face, Remus?”

“I met him, Siri.” Remus couldn’t contain it, “I met him and he is the most amazing kid in the world.”

Sirius’s eyes got huge. “Tell me everything. No, better yet find a Pensieve and show me. I’m sure Dumbledore has one, go rob Hogwarts, Padfoot needs to see his godson!”

**Privet Drive**

Severus Snape was not sure what to think. He had never been a fan of Potters but for some reason the current Potter did not irritate in the same way he used to. 

It had nothing to do with the fact that Harry had the means to give him access to a nearly unlimited supply of some of the rarest ingredients in the world. It had nothing to do with his mother and absolutely nothing to do with his father. For some reason he was drawn to the quiet, humble boy who didn’t take credit for anything. He realized that everything he thought about the boy before was most likely wrong. The boy he saw in Minerva’s office that fateful night was the real Harry Potter and he might just grow to like that Harry Potter. 

Now he just had to deal with the fact that he had treated the boy poorly. Perhaps today would be the first step in showing that he had changed.

He stepped out of the Floo at Arabella Fig’s house and into the stench of cabbage and cat. Wonderful. At least the woman wasn’t home. Albus had gotten permission for him to use her Floo to get to Privet Drive despite her being away visiting her son. 

Five minutes later he spotted the Potter boy, he was holding the Granger girl’s hand while she leaned into him. This was new. He had never seen them stand that way, he missed little so he would have seen it if this was a regular occurrence. He hoped they could keep their adolescent hormones in check.

At least they were dressed appropriately, he thought, noticing the older, grubby looking clothes. 

“Miss Granger, Mister Potter,” he drawled. “I see you are prepared to aid me in this venture. Shall we?” he asked, gesturing toward a secluded patch of trees. “We will be taking a Port Key; the Headmaster has created it to drop us just outside the castle. “Take hold of the sock and hold on tight. When I tell you, let go and begin walking, unless you want to end up flat on your face that is.”

His students grabbed hold of the sock and with a muttered ‘activate,’ they disappeared from Privet Drive without a sound.

**Gringotts Bank**

Bill walked into the office of one of the Goblin Healers. He had been advised by Master Holgrind that Goblin Healers could tell a great deal about the necessary steps they would need to take from just a copy of a scan. 

“May all of your patients survive under your care, Mistress Garnet.”

“May you find success in your chosen path, Curse Breaker Weasley.” The Goblin Healer smiled slightly at him. “Master Holgrind said the scan of a young man concerned you?”

“Indeed, Mistress Garnet,” he handed the scan to the female Goblin, “There is a high concentration of something extremely dark in the boy’s forehead. It emanates from a scar.”

The Goblin studied the parchment.

Bill’s blood ran cold as he witnessed a Goblin showing fear for the first time in his life.

“Get the young man in here immediately, Curse Breaker Weasley.” She met his eyes, “It is a matter of Forbidden Magics.”


	8. Consequences

**4 Privet Drive**

Bill strode up to the door of Harry’s home on Privet Drive quickly. Perhaps it was his terror about the healer finding evidence of Forbidden Magics on his scan of Harry but this place creeped him out. It was too perfect, too uniform, too polished. 

4 Privet Drive was like all the others, but worse at the same time, pristine and untouched. It was like no one lived there. At least the other yards had evidence of their residents; a ball in that yard, a bicycle leaning against that garage, a man washing his car. Number 4 had nothing. He knocked on the door and waited.

The door was opened by a slim, horse faced woman with, what was probably, a perpetual scowl. Her scowl deepened as she took him in, she definitely didn’t like his hair or earring. “Can I help you with something?” she said with obvious disdain. 

“I’m sorry to bother you, ma’am,” he forced himself to be calm and respectful, for some reason he really wanted to hex the woman. “but I really need to see Harry. This is where he lives, right?”

“The boy’s not here,” she said and started to close the door.

“It really is important, ma’am,” Bill said stepping forward, hoping she wouldn’t slam the door in his face. “Do you happen to know where he is? Do you know who he is with?” Please, he thought, just know something.

“I don’t know, nor do I care. He didn’t come back last night, so I haven’t seen him since early yesterday. He can stay wherever he is for all I care.” She slammed the door in Bill’s face.

What in the world? If he didn’t need to get Harry to Gringotts as soon as possible, he would go in there and explore the house. And probably get Harry out of there, permanently.

Bill turned and walked back down the driveway. Now where? Bill knew Harry had been at the Bell’s house last night, just like his brothers but he also knew that all of them had gone home this morning. Percy had dropped Harry off just around the corner at about 8:30 this morning. 

“He left with a girl with curly brown hair and a man with black hair who scares me more than Mister Dursley.”

Bill turned to see a scrawny boy walking toward him from the neighboring house. “You saw him this morning?” The boy nodded, “Do you know who the man was? What time did they leave?”

“No, never seen him before and couldn’t hear them. He wore a lot of black and his nose was kind of hooked but that’s all I noticed. They left about nine or so I think.”

“I think I know who that is. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Bill started to walk away, “They don’t like him.” He stopped and focused on the boy again. “Harry seemed like a nice kid back in elementary but now they say he is a criminal. I don’t see how he could be. Nobody really likes the Dursleys but because of them they really don’t like Harry.” The boy sighed, “Harry didn’t ever get in trouble at school, well a bit of trouble for not trying, but nothing for bullying or mouthing off. The neighborhood thinks he bullies little kids and steals things. He doesn’t. His cousin does. The kids around here know it; the adults just don’t listen.”

“I believe you.”

“Really?”

“I’ve met Harry and I know what school he goes to. I went to it too. So does the girl you saw him with.”

“So, not a school for criminal boys.”

“No, a private school in Scotland.”

“Can you help him?”

“I plan to.”

“Okay. Make sure they can’t do anything to him. I wanted to be his friend but Dudley beat me up for talking to him. Tell him I’m sorry.”

“I’ll do that, as soon as I have a name to give.”

“Brian.”

“Thank you, Brian. I may be back but now I really do need to go.”

“Make sure you do help him, okay?”

Bill nodded and walked away from the boy. As far as Bill was concerned, Harry Potter was not coming back to this place. Now he needed to see a Potions Master.

**Hogsmeade**

Bill Apparated to Hogsmeade Village and walked quickly up the lane toward the school. The gates were closed when he arrived, so he sent a Patronus message to the Headmaster. 

He had taken a quick trip to the Burrow to talk to his brothers to see if they knew if Harry had plans today. None of his brothers knew of a specific plan but Percy did know that Oliver Wood had taken Hermione home and then to Harry’s house. Neither Harry nor Hermione had mentioned their plans beyond that they were doing something together. His brothers did note that Hermione seemed a bit nervous about whatever they were doing but Harry was not.

A few minutes later, Headmaster Dumbledore and Hagrid were walking toward him. 

“Ah, Mister Weasley,” the Headmaster said jovially. “What can I do for you today?”

“Hello, Headmaster. I was hoping you might know where I can find Harry. I think he is with Professor Snape.”

“You are indeed correct, Mister Weasley. They are down in the Chamber rendering the Basilisk for ingredients.” The Headmaster frowned, “Is everything all right, William?”

“To be honest, Headmaster, I don’t know. I showed one of the Goblins the scans we talked about and they indicated they would like to talk to him immediately,” Bill tried to be as vague as possible due to the fact that Hagrid had an extremely loose tongue.

“That is interesting, I’ll take you to them now.” There was concern and also resignation in the old man’s eyes. He would have to see about that later.

“Thank you, sir.” He nodded to Hagrid, “It was good to see you, Hagrid. When I have more time I’ll come by for a visit.” Bill felt bad dismissing the man, but he couldn’t allow Hagrid to know any of the information they were going to talk about.

“Is there anything you can tell me?” the Headmaster asked as they walked through the doors and then on toward the main staircase.

“I spoke to my boss earlier this morning. He called a meeting for 8:30 this morning because he knew I had an appointment to meet with one of the healers an hour after that. They found one in the vault of Bellatrix Lestrange. Apparently, it is a very valuable item and they wish to speak to you about it. Master Holgrind wouldn’t tell me what the vessel was but he did tell me that it has been cleansed.”

“The vessel is still intact?”

“Yes, the Goblins have a way of removing the soul piece from the vessel and then taking care of the soul piece.” He shook his head, “I can’t tell you any details, Headmaster. I am under oath to not share the procedure with anyone.”

“I understand, my boy. You say your superiors wish to speak to me about the recovered vessel?”

“Yes they do. Master Holgrind said he would be sending you an owl but if I saw you he informed me I could mention his intentions.”

“And what of your meeting with the healer?”

“Healer Garnet studied the scan and told me to get Harry to her immediately. She indicated it had to do with Forbidden Magics.”

“A Horcrux?”

“I can’t be sure. There are various types of extremely dark rituals and spells that are classified as Forbidden Magics by the Goblins, I hope it’s not but with how often I have heard about them recently and with Harry’s history it seems the most likely.”

“If it is one, can they remove it the same way they did with the object they found in the Lestrange vault?”

“If it is, then yes they would use the same method but there are added precautions and difficulties with living hosts. It’s easy if you don’t want the host to survive, you just kill the host, but if you do want them to live then they use the ritual. The ritual works but the soul piece can fight back. When it fights it can and will destroy the living host if it has a strong enough hold.”

Neither spoke as they walked down the second-floor hallway.

“Here we are. The entrance is through here.” The headmaster opened the door.

“A girl’s bathroom?”

“One can only assume it was not a bathroom when Salazar placed the entrance here. The castle has been updated a number of times in the years since the founders resided here. We do have plumbing after all.”

Bill nodded and stepped into the bathroom. There was a hole in the floor where he assumed another sink should have been. “Down those stairs then?”

“Yes, my boy.” The Headmaster smiled, “I wasn’t going to go down there today. I thought it best Harry and Severus got to know each other better without any more of an audience. They are both stubborn boys and have spent far too much time angry at each other all because of misunderstandings of character.”

“Well, Headmaster, I have little time so if you’re coming join me, if not I will see you when we exit.” Bill did not wait; he descended the stairs as quickly as he dared.

Seeing the shed skin in the tunnel at the bottom of the stairs made his heart clench. The skin was enormous, the snake even bigger and that was what his sister was around. That is the snake that could have very easily eaten his brothers and Harry. Unimaginable.

“Very good, Miss Granger.” Bill heard echoed down the tunnel. “Continue with the rest of that side.”

“Mister Potter, please take these to the trunk. They are spelled to be unbreakable but be careful to not disturb the stoppers.”

“Got it, Professor.”

“Once you have those loaded, I would like you to aid me in removing the fangs. Make sure you are wearing the dragon hide gloves, the long ones.”

“I’d rather not die, Professor; you did say that basilisk venom is the most potent poison in the world,” you could here, the smirk in Harry’s voice, “I don’t need reminding about safety when it comes to the pointy, poison deliverers.” 

Bill stepped into the Chamber to see Professor Snape crouched at the mouth of a gargantuan snake, shaking his head in what must be amusement. Harry was not far away packing jars and vials into a trunk. Hermione was on the side of the snake, removing the skin.

Harry and the Professor looked up as one, hearing the sound of his boots hitting stone.

Harry smiled, “Hi, Bill.” Hermione looked up at his voice and smiled as well. Snape raised an eyebrow.

“Hello, Harry. I’m sorry to disturb everyone, but I really need to speak to Harry.”

Harry got up from his kneeling position and walked over to Bill. “What’s going on, Bill?”

“Harry, I actually am here because one of the Goblins requested to speak with you immediately.”

Harry frowned, “Okay, what’s it about?”

Severus Snape and Hermione were approaching. “Do you remember the scans I took of Hermione and you?” Harry nodded, “Well there was something in your scan that looked off to me centered around your scar so I took the scan to the Goblins. I don’t have any clear details, but the Goblin healer I spoke with wants to see you today.”

Harry’s hand went to his forehead, rubbing his scar. Hermione took his other hand. “Is Harry okay?”

Bill wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t think everything was okay and he wasn’t sure the Goblins could fix it without problems. His eyes met the Potions Master’s. Bill could read nothing from those dark eyes but apparently, they read something from his as the man nodded toward the girl. “To be honest, Hermione, I don’t know. I do know that the scar hasn’t done anything to him yet so it shouldn’t cause us any problems right now. However, the Goblin Healer saw something in the scan she didn’t like and wants to see him as soon as possible. I would like to err on the side of caution, the Goblins tend to get these things right in my experience.”

“Why don’t you take both Miss Granger and Mister Potter now?” the Headmaster said as he approached. “I can assist Severus with the Basilisk. If you haven’t discussed what to do with the proceeds of the sale, we can set up a time for you to speak next week.”

Harry looked to his Professors and then at Bill. He trusted Bill. He, mostly, trusted the Headmaster. He was beginning to understand Professor Snape. They all seemed to think he should go now. 

“I’ll be with you all the way, Harry,” Hermione squeezed his hand, reassuringly.

Harry nodded, “Okay. Professor, thank you for showing us how to properly separate the carcass for sale and use. I know the body belongs to you, you killed it after all, I just think it would be nice if some money from the sale went to the victims and maybe the school could use some money to get some new brooms, the school ones are in really bad shape, Neville did break his arm because of one last year, after all.” He grinned and followed Bill back out of the Chamber, Hermione at his heels.

**…**

Severus was irritated. He really wanted to stop that ridiculous twinkle in the Headmaster’s eyes. “If you have something to say, please just say it.”

“I am proud of you, my boy.”

“Why?”

“You are getting along with Harry. You are finally seeing the Harry Potter the rest of the staff sees. You have finally looked beyond his appearance, Severus.”

Severus looked up from the section of skin he was rolling in preparation of transporting it, “You know, his resemblance to his father had nothing to do with the fact that I didn’t like him.” Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. “My first impression, in fact the only way I have ever seen the boy, showed him to be unprepared and disrespectful. In my first lesson I always quiz the class on the first chapter. I will admit that normally if a student can’t answer the question I ask, I move on to the next but I wanted to find some part of Lily. She was brilliant at potions and I wanted him to share that with her. All I wanted was to hear an answer that would show me he was her son but instead I got a disrespectful retort that so reminded me of his father.” 

“None of the other staff saw that. What has changed?”

“In Minerva’s office Harry stood there, shy and nervous. I got a flash, seeing his green eyes so uncertain, of his mother asking me about the Dementors. He didn’t take credit for anything and looked at his feet. That was not the boy I had been seeing in my class. That night he wasn’t his father, and he wasn’t really his mother either. I saw flashes of both. Lily’s reasoning. Potter’s bravery. But it was all packaged in a way that was unlike either of them.”

“What do you plan to do with this?”

“Harry and I have agreed to start over. He said he came into the class expecting me to be awful so he reacted the way he does to bullies, by standing up to them. I admitted that I saw parts of his father and that made me react poorly due to the mutual animosity between his father and I.”

“I am proud of you both.”

Severus rolled his eyes, “Is there any news about the Horcruxes?”

“Bill said the Goblins found one in Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault.”

“That is both good and bad.”

“I agree, it is great that we have found one, and the Goblins will be disposing of it, but that means that we have at the very least one more and we have no idea where to start looking for it.”

“What places were important to him when he was younger?”

“That, I cannot say. He lived in an orphanage and was not fond of the place. As far as I know, the only place he liked while he was in school was Hogwarts herself.”

“Perhaps he hid one somewhere in the Chamber?”

“It is a possibility but I fear we won’t be able to find anything without Mister Potter’s aid.”

“Then we shall have to return another time, Headmaster.”

“Yes, it seems we shall,” the Headmaster said, looking around the Chamber wistfully. 

**Gringotts, Healers Hall**

Hermione didn’t know what to think. She didn’t really know what was going on. She didn’t know where Harry was. She didn’t know where Bill was. She was scared, mostly for Harry but just a little for herself too.

She wasn’t ashamed to say that the Goblins scared her just a bit. Not for the reasons most fear them, she actually read the history books so didn’t take Professor Bins lectures at face value. Hermione knew they would keep the peace unless the wizarding government did something unforgivable. She feared them because they were a warrior race that followed a very specific code of honor that she was unaware of. She feared them because she respected them and knew she would very likely say something that would upset them. That was the last thing she wanted. 

She wished she had a book. 

A door down the hall opened and she stood. Bill and two of the Goblin Healers stepped out, speaking in a language she didn’t understand, she wasn’t sure Bill understood it either. 

Bill and one of the Goblins stopped before her, the other left walking entirely too quickly. 

“Hermione, Harry has some very dark magic residing in his scar. The Goblins will remove it. They may need your help though.”

“What do I have to do?”

“The darkness in Harry’s scar is very like something that is placed in inanimate objects. They have a ritual to remove the darkness from the objects. When such darkness lies in a living host there is an added step in the ritual.” Hermione nodded in understanding. “It requires someone to stand as a pillar and anchor for the one who is to be cleansed. That anchor needs to be someone who is close to the person, one who cares and is cared for. It is usually the family that would anchor the person, Harry however has no acceptable family. I can think of no one who is closer to him than you, Miss Granger. No one he cares for more and no one who cares for him more.”

“I would do anything for Harry, Bill.”

“Very good.” The Goblin stepped forward. “Miss Granger, I am Healer Garnet, I will be in charge of monitoring you during the ritual. The ritual is not actually one that Healers perform but when it is done on the living they have Healers on hand for any possible complication.” She smiled slightly. “The Healers are rarely needed in these cases.”

Hermione wasn’t sure she believed that but nodded anyway. “Can I see Harry?”

“When we get to the ritual room. He is being kept in an unconscious state right now in preparation for the ritual. He will be kept unconscious throughout the ritual.”

“Is there anything I need to know?”

“Both you and Mister Potter will be inside a runic array. He will be positioned in the middle and you will be standing at his heart. Curse Breaker Weasley will also be in the array standing at Mister Potter’s head. A Goblin Healer will be at his right and a Goblin Curse Breaker at his feet. There will be an additional nine Goblins standing around the array powering the runes, as well as stabilizing the magics, directing them. This will be a very powerful thing. Do not do anything but what is directed of you by the Curse Breakers.”

Hermione nodded, hoping she looked determined instead of scared.

“Come on, Hermione,” Bill said, placing a hand on her shoulder, “they want to start soon.”

The Goblin Healer led Bill and Hermione out of the Healing Hall and through the tunnels to a primitive elevator. This elevator was operated by a burly looking Goblin who took the carriage up and down with a rope and pulley system. 

Hermione was nervous, they kept going down and she had no idea how far they had already gone. 

The gate opened to a gloomy hallway that had only one door. The door at the end of the hallway looked incredibly heavy and was barred. It looked as though the door should never be opened. Two heavily armored Goblins stood on either side of the door, scowling while resting their hands on their weapons.

“Those are the doors to one of the ritual rooms. This room is designed to hold rituals dealing in soul magics. Rituals involving the soul tend to be the most volatile so it requires a great deal of rune work and shielding.” Bill knew the girl loved to learn and hoped that giving her some details would take her mind off of her worry for Harry. Now if only there was something to take his mind off the worry.

“The healer said nine Goblins would be around the runic array. Why nine? In my readings, I have noticed that some numbers are more magical than others, three, seven, thirteen, so why nine?”

“The most magical number for Goblins is three. My superiors thought that this ritual would require more power and therefore more Curse Breakers so they chose nine for the circle; nine being three 3s and still a powerful number.”

The Goblins opened the double doors simultaneously as they approached. Hermione gasped, “Harry,” she started to rush to him. 

Bill grabbed her shoulder and shook his head. “The moment we step into the room we will be following Master Holgrind’s orders. He is the head Curse Breaker. Master Holgrind has a great deal of experience in soul magics and cleansing rituals. He is the best we have.”

Hermione gripped Bill’s arm for a moment and nodded. She straightened her shoulders and stood tall, determined.

“Are you ready Hermione?”

“Anything for Harry.”

A gruff looking Goblin approached, “Are you ready?”

“Yes, Master Holgrind.”

The Goblin nodded, “You know your part, Curse Breaker Weasley,” Bill nodded and walked toward the rune circle. “Miss Granger, I am going to take you to your position inside the circle. Once there I need you to stand in one spot, your wand hand on the boy’s heart, and do not move until someone tells you to. You also need to remain silent.”

She nodded to the Goblin. He turned and she followed him, stepping only where he stepped.

He led her to a circle of runes on the floor next to a stone table. The runes were carved into the floor and seemed to be filled with glass but when she stepped over them, she could see the color shift within the shiny surface making her believe the carvings were filled with diamond. Harry lay on the stone table, shirtless with runes painted down the middle of his chest. The table was also covered in runes, the same as the floor. She wished she had gotten her books for next year so she could attempt to identify some of them.

She placed her wand hand over Harry’s heart and looked to Master Holgrind. He nodded in approval so she turned her attention back to Harry. 

Bill stepped up to Harry’s head, his wand out and ready. 

The Goblins stepped up to Harry’s feet and right side.

Eight of the Goblin Curse Breakers stepped into position around the runic array.

Master Holgrind walked around the room, checking that everything and everyone was in place. He stopped at the empty spot along the array, just out of line with the others. The Goblin Curse Breaker took a breath and stepped into place, completing the circle.

As one the Goblins around the array started chanting. The runes in front of Master Holgrind started to glow a vibrant blue. The glow traveled clockwise along the circle as the Goblins continued to chant in a language Hermione could not understand. It was beautiful and terrifying.

The final runes of the outer circle glowed the same vibrant blue and Hermione felt a pulse of magic, it tingled over her skin making her want to shiver with the enormity of it. The runes spiraling in toward the center of the circle started to glow that same blue. Magic pulsed all around her and grew in power as the runes continued to light as they traveled toward the stone table, toward Harry.

She was both terrified and fascinated. Her only true comfort was Harry’s strong, steady heartbeat under her palm.

The runes at her feet lit. 

The runes on the table lit.

The painted runes on Harry’s chest lit.

There was a blinding flash of light and a powerful blast of magic that almost knocked her off her feet.

Under her hand, Harry’s heart began to race. 

Bill and the Goblin at Harry’s feet started to chant along with the nine outside the circle.

Harry began to thrash. It took all of her strength not to cry out. She just kept her hand on his heart, allowing her arm to shift with his thrashing. 

Harry screamed. Hermione felt tears fall down her face as he screamed and screamed. Still she remained silent, eyes on his face.

The Goblin Healer across from her was muttering quickly to the Goblin at Harry’s feet. She sounded worried, or at least she thought she was worried, considering she didn’t speak the Goblin language. 

Harry’s lightning bolt shaped scar started to bleed. 

The chanting got louder and the runes started to glow green instead of blue. 

The green turned yellow and the yellow deepened to orange. 

Harry screamed on.

Orange turned to a violent red. The magic pulsed. A red/black mist coiled out of Harry’s scar, coalescing into a cloud above his head. An orb that appeared to be made of glass, flew up from somewhere around Harry’s feet toward the undulating cloud. Bill’s voice sounded strained as he pointed his wand at the cloud. Hermione thought he was directing the mist into the ball.

The runes pulsed in time with the magic filling the room. 

Harry’s screams cut off abruptly. 

His heart stuttered under her hand then stopped. 

The Goblin Healer said something in an urgent tone. 

Hermione was crying in earnest as the runes stopped glowing, starting from the inside, traveling to the outer array.

The second the starting rune stopped glowing everyone moved. Another Goblin healer was at Hermione’s side, waving her hands over Harry. The two healers talked urgently in their language. 

Bill pushed Hermione to the side and started to compress Harry’s heart.

“What are you doing, Curse Breaker Weasley?” asked the male Goblin Healer.

“CPR. I’m attempting to get his heart to start pumping again. Hermione, when I tell you breath.”

Hermione nodded frantically and positioned herself at Harry’s head.

“Breath.”

She breathed for him. 

Bill started pumping again.

“Again, Hermione.”

Again, she pushed air into his lungs.

Bill started pumping his heart.

“Come on, Harry. Don’t die on me. I need you just as much as you said you needed me.” There were tears running down her face as she whispered to him.

Bill nodded to her, so she pushed air into his lungs.

Again, and again. Pumping his heart. Pushing air into his lungs.

One of the Goblins said something and suddenly Harry coughed. 

The Goblin healers pushed Bill away.

He pulled Hermione away from Harry and against his chest to keep her out of the way. 

“Harry,” she whimpered.

“It’s going to be okay, Hermione. His heart is beating and he’s breathing. They will take care of him. He’s going to be fine.” He kept repeating those words over and over. He honestly wasn’t sure if he was trying to calm her or convince himself. 

Another healer joined the others. After a moment, Harry was levitated off the table and the male healers directed him toward the doors. Healer Garnet approached Bill and Hermione.

“Thank you, Curse Breaker Weasley, Miss Granger. We almost lost him. With the amount of stress, the ritual put him under the regular ways to restart his heart would have just caused more damage. Your quick thinking brought him back enough for us to aid him with magic.” She looked directly into Hermione’s eyes, “We are going to monitor him closely for the next twenty-four hours. His heart was already starting to get back to normal so we think he is going to be just fine; it seems his magic is already fixing the damage the ritual caused. He may however stay unconscious for a while now. There was a lot of magic flowing through him so his system is a bit overloaded right now.”

Hermione sniffed, wiping tears from her cheeks and eyes. “Can I see him?”

The Healer smiled slightly, “I can let you see him for a few minutes but then Curse Breaker Weasley is going to have to take you home.”

Hermione nodded. As long as she saw Harry and made sure he was alive. 

**St. Mungo’s**

Sirius Black looked up from the letter he was writing when someone knocked at the door. He was shocked when, a moment later, his cousin Narcissa Malfoy stepped into his private room.

“Mrs. Malfoy,” he said frostily.

“Sirius,” she said simply, her tone far warmer than his. “How are you, cousin?”

“Well, considering my home for the last 11 years, I am doing as well as could be expected.”

“You look to be healing well, though I do not know the condition you were in when you arrived.” She walked toward the bed, “I never believed it. I knew you would never follow him, but my word meant nothing. Relatives apparently lie for each other.” She said the last with a slight smile.

Sirius smirked, “Yes, family members tend to be horrible witnesses, they are never believed. Thank you for saying you believed in me.”

“I am a Black, I knew the feelings and followings of the entire family.”

Sirius nodded, “What can I do for you, Narcissa? And where is dear Lucy?”

“I do not know where Lucius is at the moment, and to be honest I don’t particularly care. I am here to ask you a question.”

Sirius raised an eyebrow. It seemed there was trouble in paradise. “Ask, I may even answer.”

She took a breath and looked directly into her cousin’s eyes. “Do you plan to take on the mantle of Head of House Black?”

“Are you a Death Eater?”

Narcissa tilted her head slightly. She hadn’t expected him to answer without her having to explain some things. “No, I am not.”

“Are you marked?”

“No. I refused to be marked.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you refuse his mark?”

“I am a Black. Blacks do not bow to anyone.” 

Sirius nodded. “Bella is a Black as well and yet she took the mark.”

“Bella took the mark at Rodolphus’s insistence.” She shook her head, “Granted, Bella would have followed him anyway. My sister has never been stable. She is and always has been violent and felt that she was superior to all and that those beneath her didn’t deserve to live. She would have followed him because he gave her permission to kill. She did confide in me that she would have preferred not to have a slave mark.”

“I agree; Bella would have followed him regardless. So why aren’t you marked?” 

“Blacks do not bow to anyone, that was my original argument. I had much more to argue about as time went on. I knew he was not what he claimed to be. I could see no evidence that he actually wanted to promote the Pure-blood agenda, especially when he started killing off the old families. ‘Blood traitors’ and his followers were all killed at his whim.”

“Okay, so why weren’t you forced to take the mark.”

“My husband prefers my skin unblemished.” She smirked slightly, “I also argued that when we attended balls and other formal social gatherings that I generally wore sleeveless gowns and were I to all of a sudden start wearing long sleeves to every occasion people would question it. There were many women in our circle who knew that I preferred the more modern styles and that Lucius preferred me in them as well.”

“Only you, Cissy, would use fashion to refuse the orders of a megalomaniac.” He smiled at her. “So you are not an unmarked Death Eater?”

“No. I had to refuse to take the mark a number of times.” She sighed, “Sirius, is there going to be a Lord Black in the near future?”

“Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it. Why have you come here to ask me this?”

“Because in order to get out of my marriage I need a Head of House.”

“You want out of your marriage to Lucius?” She nodded, “On what grounds are you asking for the Head of House to declare the marriage void?”

“There are a number of reasons. One, forcing a member of the House of Black to serve another. Two, forcing me to attend meetings held by that man. In those meetings you were lucky to walk out without suffering the Cruciatus curse, it made me miss your mother.” She saw Sirius wince. His mother had loved placing the children of the House of Black under that curse to ‘toughen them up.’ “Three, I lost my first child due to being placed under the Cruciatus curse by his master when I was pregnant.”

“Why haven’t you already left him?” Sirius growled.

“Grandfather was still Head at the time and he refused to invalidate the marriage. He said that obviously his children had done a poor job of training us if I miscarried because of a simple Cruciatus.”

“He had no right. There is a clause in all contracted marriages that if the spouse is responsible for the loss of a child, directly or indirectly, then the marriage is void. You should have been free from that moment on.”

“Yes, I should have. Lucius did start to get protective after that, he wouldn’t take me to meetings anymore and if he was forced to hold one then I was to keep myself away. It was only because I became pregnant with Draco that I managed to remain unmarked. He did not know what the mark would do to the child so left me as I was, saying he did not want another ‘chosen’ child to perish.”

“So, you have come to ask me to take up the title so that you can be freed from your marriage?”

She sighed, “Yes.”

“You have lived with him since His downfall, is your marriage that bad?”

“In all honesty no, I don’t have the worst marriage. I am taken care of but I can’t abide a man that would risk the life of my son, especially after losing my daughter.”

“Explain.”

“Do you know what happened at Hogwarts this year?”

Sirius shrugged, “I know a little bit, Remus read a letter from Harry saying that the Chamber of Secrets was opened and it was all because of a diary that used to belong to Him. The diary possessed a girl and then a Basilisk started petrifying people.”

She nodded, “That is essentially what happened. What few know is that it was because of my husband that the girl got the diary in the first place.”

“You know this for certain?” How could a father give a Dark Lord’s diary to a student when his son was attending the same school? He wondered.

“Yes, I called upon one of his Elves, one I hadn’t seen in a few days. It turns out that your Harry managed to get my husband to free the poor thing. Lucius was very hard on the Elf. I asked the Elf about Lucius’s activity and it told me that Lucius took the diary from one of the hidden vaults in the house and gave the diary to one of the Weasley children while he was at the Alley. The Elf knew it meant there would be trouble at Hogwarts but he was ordered not to tell me anything about it. The Elf instead tried to save Harry Potter.”

“He ordered the Elf not to tell you?”

“Yes, Lucius knew Dobby would tell me and I would in turn go to Arthur and tell him about what Lucius had done. I value the lives of children above petty feuds.”

“As do I.” Sirius studied his cousin. He hadn’t thought about taking up the Head of House title. It had never seemed important. Now, however, he considered what it would allow him to do. The House of Black had always been strong, both magically and politically. If he took up the family seat, he could place the house of Black in opposition of the Dark Lord, if he returned, or even just use the family power to steer the governing body toward a more open mindset. He could also let Andromeda back into the family. “If I took up the Head of House and freed you from your husband would you aid me in rebuilding the House of Black?”

“Yes.”

“Even if I choose to lead us onto a pro Muggle-born path?”

“Yes, I have never thought that we should get rid of Muggle-born children. I value our traditions but I also know that magic blood is special, no matter where it comes from.”

Sirius nodded. “Would you ask that your son be kept with you or your husband?”

“I want Draco away from his father. Lucius has taught our son that he is better than everyone and has not asked him to even try to learn about others. My son has become brash and tactless. I hope that I can still teach my son what it really means to be part of the upper echelons of society.”

They were both silent for a time. 

Sirius looked up from his hands and into his cousin’s eyes. “I will take up the ring. I will free you and your son from your husband. I would ask that you help me in fixing the reputation of the house of Black. I ask that you aid me in fixing Grimmauld Place. I hope that you can reteach your son in the ways of an Ancient and Noble house, but keep him humble.”

“I will do all I can, cousin.”

Sirius reached out a hand and she took it. He pulled her closer so that she sat on the edge of the bed. He then wrapped his arms around her. “It is good to have you back, Cissy.”

“I have missed you, Siri.”

“Do you have to be somewhere soon?”

“I have a meeting at the bank in about an hour.”

“Good then you have time to help me write a letter. It seems long term stays in Azkaban make it hard to write letters when you’re out, my hand cramps after only a few words.”

“Shall I write what you wish to say?”

Sirius grinned broadly, “Please! I really need to write a letter to my godson. I want him to know that I love him and I am sorry for not being there for him.”

Narcissa smiled. There, she thought, that is the cousin I remember. All smiles and obsessed with his Potters.

**Gringotts**

Lucius Malfoy was surprised to see his wife standing outside the accounts manager’s offices. He had been summoned by the Malfoy accounts manager; his wife had not been.

“Wife, what are you doing here?”

“I was summoned by the Lestrange account manager. I am the overseer for the accounts with my sister and her husband in Azkaban.”

“I see.”

“And you, Lucius?”

“The Malfoy account manager asked to speak with me. It is probably about some business proposal.”

Narcissa frowned, why did her husband think she was stupid? Goblin account managers didn’t notify account holders about business proposals or opportunities unless the account holder asked the Goblins to, her husband was not one of those people. He thought himself better than the Goblins so did not need their help in anything. 

A door opened. “Ah, Mister Malfoy, Madam Malfoy, please come in.”

Both stood and walked into the office. 

“May all of your business deals turn a profit, Master Torlak,” Narcissa said bowing her head slightly to the Goblin behind the desk.

“May you find riches in every venture, Madam Malfoy,” the Goblin returned respectfully.

“Would one of you mind telling me why I was summoned here with so little notice.” No one missed the fact that Lucius did not greet his account manager with the respect he was due.

“Madam Malfoy,” began Master Torlak, ignoring the man’s outburst. “You have been summoned as you are listed as the contact person for the Vaults of Bellatrix Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange and Rodolphus Lestrange.” She nodded so he continued, “During a recent security check of the vaults on that level we came across an item that is in direct violation of the contracts signed by all account holders of Gringotts. This is a level seven violation of the terms of contract.”

“So you are seizing the assets of all Lestrange vaults due to the breach of contract?”

The Goblin smirked, it seemed Narcissa Malfoy was not like most wizards and witches. “You are correct, Madam Malfoy.”

“Now, hold on a second,” Lucius interjected. “My wife is listed as a beneficiary of her sister’s vault; you can’t take the entire vault.”

“Yes, they can, Lucius.” Narcissa glared at her husband. “A level seven violation deals with the worst types of dark magic; the Goblins list these as Forbidden Magics. It is stated, quite clearly, that no vault can contain within it objects classified as Forbidden Magics, to do so is to forfeit all assets within the vault and the vaults of cosigners. I am not a cosigner, only an overseer in the event that none of the consignors are available to attend meetings with the account manager. It is for this reason that the Goblins can and will seize the contents of all Lestrange vaults but leave the vaults I am a signer to alone.”

“Thank you, Madam Malfoy. It is refreshing to have an account holder that actually reads their contract.”

“Blacks sign nothing without reading it first, Master Torlak.” She tilted her head slightly, “Thank you for the notice of vault closure. I will file any necessary paperwork for my records.” The Goblin handed her a small folder.

“Now, account holder, Malfoy,” the other Goblin began, purposely not addressing his client in the expected way. “You have been called here to inform you that a petition has been filed and accepted requesting you pay for all damages and medical expenses on a minor child.”

“I will do no such thing.”

“It has already been done. This meeting is merely to inform you that Gringotts has investigated and found you responsible for the incident that required the minor child to seek medical attention. Your ministry may be bought but Goblins will not be bought.”

“Am I allowed to ask what I did to cause this child to seek medical treatment?”

The Goblin gave a wicked grin, “You, Malfoy, gave an item classified as a Forbidden Magic to a minor child resulting in her being possessed and nearly killing her with the item. Gringotts also wishes to inform you that had this item been in your vault, your vaults would have been closed and your assets seized in the exact same manner as the Lestrange vaults. This is your one and only warning. If Gringotts finds evidence of you possessing any other items that would be considered Forbidden Magics we will seize your assets and hold them until your son is of age and proves to us that he is not in contact with Forbidden Magics.”

Narcissa could see that her husband was seething but had enough sense to hold his tongue.

“You are dismissed, Malfoy.”

“Thank you for coming in, Madam Malfoy. Was there any business you wished to conduct before you left?”

“I would like to remove all cosigners from my personal vaults and to remove Lucius Malfoy from all Black vaults I control. Finally, I would like to remove myself from the Malfoy vault and have my monthly stipend from said vault deposited directly into my personal vault.”

“Very well, Madam Malfoy.”

“May you live a rich life collecting your enemy’s assets, Master Torlak. And may you, Master Spirnol, collect all your enemy’s heads.”

“May you continue to make wise business decisions, Madam Malfoy,” replied Master Torlak.

“May you live long and free of the idiocy of others, Madam Malfoy,” said Lucius’s account manager with a glance at his own client. It was obvious to all he felt that Lucius was the idiocy she should be freed from.

They walked into the hall and Lucius grabbed her arm and swung her around to face him. “What was that, WIFE.”

“That, Lucius, was me securing a large portion of wealth so that should you do another ridiculously stupid thing your son and wife do not end up paupers. I do not approve of the things you have done recently, Husband, so I will do all I can to protect my son from the consequences of your actions.”

“You will regret this, Wife.”

“I highly doubt that, husband,” she said walking away from him. She looked over her shoulder, “soon I will have the Head of House Black to support me and he dislikes you. I would be careful not to anger me, Lucius.”

Lucius swallowed. He did not need Lord Black turning up right now. It would not turn out well for him. Blacks put Blacks before anything else and he was not a Black.

**Diagon Alley, Apartment building**

Bill stepped into his new flat with a sigh. It had been a long day. He flopped down onto his armchair. The Goblins had provided him with an apartment in Diagon Alley so that he was closer to work. His transfer job should have started a few days ago but they had delayed it due to the Forbidden Magics; due to the Horcruxes. He was now supposed to start on Monday 21st, in four days. 

He might have to delay that again. 

After leaving the ritual room, Healer Garnet had taken Hermione back to Healer’s Hall and he’d had a meeting with Mater Holgrind. 

The darkness residing in Harry’s scar had not been a Horcrux, not entirely at least. To create a Horcrux you needed to perform a ritual that prepared the soul to be split. It was a long and complicated ritual that took 48 hours to complete and required precise timing. There was a secondary ritual that took a month to complete. This ritual was for preparing the vessel. The vessel needed to sit in a potion consisting of the creator’s blood, ground up placenta, unicorn blood, crushed snake fangs, and Acromantula venom. It, like many rituals of darker natures, needed to be started on the night of the full moon, this one precisely at midnight. The ritual itself took three hours and required the potion to be completed at the final second of those three hours, the completion of the potion was to place the vessel in the potion or in the case of a live host, the host needed to drink every last drop of the potion within the last sixty seconds of the three-hour ritual. The potion then needed to sit undisturbed until the following full moon, if the host was live, the host would need to be put into a coma like state or fed the Drought of the Living Dead. The vessel would only be viable for the soul implant before the following full moon but the strength was increased if the soul was placed around the night of the new moon. 

Once that was complete, you needed to kill an innocent. The definition of innocent in this case was not someone free of evils but literally one who was innocent, untouched, virginal. The Horcrux ritual worked best when the sacrifice was a baby, a child under the age of two, but would work for anyone who had not yet reached puberty.

Harry had been the Dark Lord’s planned sacrifice. Just before the sacrifice, the person must say a complex spell that rends a piece of their prepared soul. That soul piece attaches to the sacrifice and devours the victim’s soul as it leaves the body. It uses that soul to seal itself in the prepared vessel.

The Goblins were unsure as to what happened but for some reason the piece of the Dark Lord’s soul that was detached from the collective soul did not attach itself to Harry’s that night. It was stopped outside his body. The killing curse managed to push the soul piece toward Harry further and, they thought, cut his skin thus creating the lightning bolt scar that encased the piece of the Dark Lord’s soul. 

Harry had held a piece of Voldemort’s soul but he was not a Horcrux. Without the fully completed ritual the soul piece did not tie the individual’s consciousness to this plane of existence. It was this that made the ritual go pear shaped. 

Because Harry was not a Horcrux, they had to rework a few sections of the ritual. Apparently, they had miscalculated the amount of strength held by the prepared soul piece. The stress from the soul piece fighting and the massive amount of magic pulsing through Harry had stopped his heart.

He had taken Hermione home after his meeting. She had seemed much calmer when he left her. He had promised to come get her the following day at 1:30 so she could see Harry. 

Bill turned his head to the trunk, owl cage and broom sitting by his door. He couldn’t believe things had turned out the way they had when he went back to Harry’s relatives’ home.

 _After dropping Hermione off, Bill Apparated back to Privet Drive_. 

_Bill knocked on the door, just like he had that morning._

_When she opened the door she scowled, “I told you this morning that the boy isn’t here.”_

_“I know that, ma’am. I wanted to come by and tell you that Harry wouldn’t be home tonight. My employers wanted to see to his scar and he is currently in their care. The healers are unsure how long he will need to be monitored.”_

_“And?” she asked._

_“I thought I should come and pick up some of his clothes and perhaps some of his homework, just in case the healers want to monitor him after he wakes up.”_

_She frowned. “If I let you in, you take all of the boy’s things and he doesn’t come back. We don’t want him here. We didn’t ask for him to be here.”_

_“I wouldn’t let him come back here even if you begged me to, lady.” Bill had growled. “You are the worst sort of person I have ever met. I am collecting his things and you will never see him again if I have anything to do with it.”_

_The woman smiled thinly, “Good. Get his stuff and get out of here.”_

Bill had collected Harry’s things. He had held his tongue while quivering with rage at the fact that his things were kept locked in a cupboard under the stairs. He had been surprised when Dobby had popped into the room and snapped his fingers revealing Harry’s most prized possession hidden under the floorboards. 

Now, Bill had Harry’s things and Harry could not go back to his relative’s home. He was way too young to be responsible for an almost 13-year-old boy. 


	9. Healing

**Malfoy Manor**

Draco Malfoy was confused. For some unknown reason things had changed; the only problem was he didn’t know how they had changed, he just knew they had. 

He sensed that the change had something to do with his parent’s relationship. They had never been overly affectionate, they had never really been affectionate at all come to think of it, but they were always civil. Now, however, there seemed to be a layer of frost between them. His father always held himself above others, even his wife, but recently he acted as though his wife, Draco’s mother, was no better than a squib, or worse a muggle. 

His mother was the one that had truly changed though. She was much more affectionate and caring towards him but extremely cold to his father. Draco wondered what his father had done to earn his mother’s ire. 

He was walking down the stairs toward the family dining room, as dinner should be ready shortly, when he heard shouting coming from his father’s study. Curious, he walked as quietly as he could toward the room.

“How dare you embarrass me in front of the Goblins.” His father was shouting.

“I did nothing more than ensure you could not make a pauper out of me, Lucius.” Draco could hear the distaste in her deathly calm voice.

“They had no right to do as they did and they knew it. You allowing them to continue and then severing our financial ties made it so I could not fix the situation in the future.”

“Unlike you, Lucius, I know how one is supposed to deal with the Goblin race. There were many mistakes made in that office but none of them were mine. Children of the House of Black are taught to show respect when dealing with Goblins for the sole fact that the Goblin nation controls our only banking institution. Not all in my family deal with them the way I do, I trust them to aid me financially, but they all show respect, even Bellatrix.” Draco heard her huff out a small breath, “You insulted the Goblins the moment you walked into the room by not acknowledging the age-old traditions of greeting and business.”

“It is not necessary to cater to their asinine greeting tradition. Goblins serve Wizards so they should be grateful I even deemed to show my presence.”

Draco’s eyes widened in shock. His mother had taught him from a young age what would happen if you insulted the Goblin race. They could not do anything to your money until you did something against contract but they could neglect to inform you of certain opportunities or end up siding with the other party in a disagreement where both sides are essentially equal. If an account manager was on the receiving end of insults, then any and all infractions were given the maximum penalty. Draco had read all of the literature and knew his mother’s teachings were correct. What his father was saying was utterly insane.

“That is where you are wrong, it is far easier to be courteous. On to your other complaint. The Goblins had every right to seize the Lestrange vaults, they broke contract by having an object classified as a level seven violation in Bella’s vault. The penalty the Goblins enacted was entirely legal and was stated very clearly in the contracts she and the Lestrange boys signed when they acquired the vaults.”

“It is not in the contract.”

Yes, it is, thought Draco. 

“Lucius, if you had actually read your contract instead of giving it to your lawyers to review you would know all the penalties to all levels of infractions. Level Seven violations incur the loss of all assets held within Gringotts walls; this is for every signer on the vault. There are only two levels worse, a level eight violation sees the account holder imprisoned in Gringotts, serving time in the most labor-intensive ways they can think of. A level nine violation is a death sentence. You are lucky Lucius that I did not trust my sister or her husband. Had I trusted her to stick to contract then I would have been a signer on her vault and that would have caused the Goblins to seize our vaults too. Luckily, I knew my sister thought much like you.”

“I want you to put me back as a signer to your vaults.”

“No, Lucius. You were warned. You were in possession of an object labeled as Forbidden Magic by the Goblins, had that ever been in your vault we would have nothing save what is in this house. The fact that you gave that object to an eleven-year-old girl is inexcusable. To make matters worse, the object almost killed the girl, which is why the Goblins have charged your vaults with her care. The fact that our son attends the same school as the girl in question means that you and I are done.”

Draco slumped against the wall. What? His father had an object that was so dark the Goblins considered them forbidden?

“Our son is fine. The girl lived. You can’t be done with me. Lord Black wouldn’t approve the invalidation of our marriage fifteen years ago, so why would he now?”

Draco felt his eyes sting. His mother was right. His father didn’t deny it. Draco shook his head and focused on the next issue. Why had his mother wanted to end their marriage before he was born?

“My grandfather did not think you responsible for the death of our daughter despite the fact that your master placed me under the Cruciatus curse while I was pregnant. Grandfather blamed no one but the Dark Lord as the healers cited the Cruciatus cruse as the reason for my miscarriage. He did not think it your fault despite the fact that I begged you not to take me with you. I do not follow Voldemort, Lucius, and I never will. I am a Black and my only loyalty is to my family. Arcturus Black died two years ago; he is no longer keeping me tied to you. My only loyalty is to my son and the new Lord Black.”

Draco’s gut clenched. His mother was supposed to have given birth to a daughter? No one helped her? Maybe this new Lord Black would?

“New Lord Black?”

“Were you not listening to me, Lucius? I told you at Gringotts that you should not anger me because I would soon have the support of the Head of House Black. Did you not understand that I meant a new one was to take the title?”

“There is no one eligible. My son is the current Heir of House Black.”

“As much as I would love for Draco to take up the Headship of House Black, he is not eligible until the current Heir is dead and even then, he is not the only one who could become the Heir.” She paused and Draco heard his mother laugh slightly. “Have you not read the papers? Your pawn, Fudge, seems to be doing well for himself. He fixed the mistakes of the last administration by freeing an innocent man. You do remember my cousin Sirius, don’t you? He was the Heir of House Black; in fact, he was named Heir before he turned twelve.”

His father hissed. Interesting, thought Draco. 

“Black won’t take up the post. He hates your family.”

“Really, Husband? Can you say that for certain?”

“He reveled in telling anyone who would listen that he wanted nothing to do with House Black.”

Draco slumped a bit. He was hoping someone could help his mom. Hearing his father admit to giving an extremely dark artifact to someone only a year younger than him had hurt. The fact that he knew it was Ginny Weasley, a Pure-Blood, and that because of that artifact, people had been petrified and rumor is they were lucky they hadn’t died, disgusted him. You didn’t do that to kids. 

“While that may have been true at the height of the war, most of my family is dead or in Azkaban. The only ones left free are Andromeda and myself. We are just as disgusted with what the rest of the family did in those dark times. Sirius asked me to help him rebuild the House of Black. He will take up the ring and he will make our house into what it once was. The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black will once again be one of the most respected Houses in the wizarding world. I hope you rethink your actions, or we will destroy you.”

Draco jumped when his mother strode out into the hall. She saw him immediately. She closed her eyes for a moment then smiled sadly at him. She reached out a hand and he walked toward her. 

His mother pulled him into her arms, “I think we should talk. When your father leaves for his meeting tonight with Nott and the others, we will sit down and I will tell you what you want to know.”

“Thank you, Mother.” Draco hugged his mother tightly. He played at being his father’s son, but Draco truly loved his mother. “Shall I escort you to dinner?”

She laughed softly, “Such a gentleman. That would be lovely, Draco.” She put her arm through his and allowed him to lead the way.

Draco had once respected his father but his Mother’s lessons had shown him that not all of his father’s teachings were correct. He had spent a great deal of time researching certain points of disagreement in his parent’s teachings and had found that his Mother’s teachings were more accurate in terms of the literature. Hearing his parents tonight, Draco wasn’t sure what else his father had led him astray in. He would have to do some reevaluating in the near future.

**St. Mungo’s – Ron**

“So tell me, Ron, what do you think of the most recent loss by the Cannons?” Healer Anders asked.

“I wish they could have won. I hate that they lost to the Harpies, that’s Ginny’s favorite team, so when I see her she is going to rub my face in it.”

“And why do you think they lost?”

“Couple of reasons really. Their best player is the Keeper but he is weak on the left hoop and most teams take advantage of that. The beaters are decent but Row tends to be less aggressive against female players; they should have put in one of the second-string beaters for this match.” Ron scratched his head. “Swift and Bridges are a good team but they don’t have great synchronicity with Doge; I think Doge should consider retiring, he is getting old and his shots aren’t what they used to be. The worst player is their seeker though. White is better than Chang and Malfoy but Diggory would most likely beat him and he is just the Hufflepuff seeker at Hogwarts. It’s another building year for the Cannons.”

“What about Harry Potter?”

“White has no hope of ever beating Potter.”

“So it isn’t Mister Potter’s fault that the Cannons lost?”

“Why would it be? He isn’t on the team, he doesn’t own the team, and the only reason he knows anything about the team is because they are my team. It would be awesome if Harry became the Cannons’ seeker. They would probably start winning.”

“Very good. Now what are your thoughts about losing your pet rat?”

“Scabbers wasn’t a rat.”

“Yes, I know but how do you feel knowing that you no longer have a pet rat?”

“Honestly, I didn’t really want a pet rat in the first place. I wanted a dog, but I knew I would never get one, so I took Percy’s rat when he got an owl. He wasn’t a very interesting pet. Knowing he was a man is bloody creepy. He slept in my bed.” Ron shuddered, “Some old dude was sleeping in my bed for two years as a rat. I am glad I no longer have it. I do want another pet but it won’t be a rat. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at rats and not be at least a little freaked out.”

“And what of Mister Potter’s part in Pettigrew’s capture?”

“It wasn’t Potter’s choice. He just noticed another name on the map my brothers had. It could have easily been them to find him. He just told a Prefect and the Prefect took the pets to McGonagall.”

“So you don’t blame Mister Potter for the loss of your pet rat?”

“No, if anything I am grateful. He saw the extra name on that map, if he hadn’t I would still be sleeping with some old dude.”

The mind Healer raised an eyebrow at the boy’s choice of words, that was a disturbing way to look at it. “I would like to talk about Gilderoy Lockhart.”

“Okay, what about him?”

“What are your thoughts on your decision to seek him out and what happened because of it?”

“I thought he could help. We had heard him say that he knew where the Chamber was, so with all his experience I figured we should tell him what we knew. I know he acted like a goof but not all of his books could be lies, they wouldn’t sell them as truth if they were lies.” Ron scratched his head, “Potter made me mad. I knew he didn’t like Lockhart but I just knew he would help us, so I yelled at Potter and went myself.”

“Do you remember what happened when you got there?”

“No, not really. I remember seeing he was all packed, like he was leaving, but the next thing I can remember is waking up in the infirmary and being told I was Obliviated.”

“Who do you blame for your missing memories?” 

“It had to be Lockhart, right? He was the last person I saw before my memory blanked out.”

“How do you feel about Mister Potter?”

“It’s strange, I remember feeling like he was my friend, but now I just don’t like him that much. I don’t hate him or anything but I also don’t really want to spend any of my time with him. I mean it’s because of him that I have to put up with Hermione’s bossiness and I get into danger a lot.”

“Why don’t you like him?”

“Potter isn’t what I expected. He should be more outgoing and fun. He is so quiet and shy. I always wanted to be friends with the boy-who-lived because we would have so much fun and be surrounded by friends. Potter isn’t what I imagined for my best friend.” 

“Of the boys you know, who is closest to your image of your best friend?”

“Probably Seamus, he’s really funny and we have a lot to talk about.”

“Alright, Ron, thank you for talking with me. Someone will be back later to bring your meal.”

“Great, I’m starving. Do you think they’ll let me have seconds?”

The healer sighed as he entered the hall outside the room. They had done what they could to rewrite the boy's mind after all the damage the Obliviate spell caused. Today had been an exceptionally good day for Ron. The day before he had blamed Harry for the rat and Lockhart. They would have to try again tomorrow and see how he reacted then. 

He still had some random bursts of anger, usually toward Mister Potter, but most days he could see who was truly responsible for whatever angered him. Hopefully, they could train him to think before he acted on his anger. With his mind still raw from damage, he may react poorly and rashly in some situations. He could very well turn his wand on another in a fit of blind rage.

**St. Mungo’s – Ginny**

“Good afternoon, Ginny. How are you today?”

“I’m alright, Healer Blithe, I haven’t had a nightmare in six days.”

“That is good to hear, Ginny. Would you mind telling me what your last nightmare was about?”

Ginny gripped her hands in her lap and bit her lip. “I’ve had it before, well, something very close to it before. It’s the one where I have no control over my body but I see everything I’m doing.”

“What did your body do?”

“In the dream I was walking through the school and every student I saw, I attacked. I cast a blasting hex at my childhood friend Luna. I cast a curse that cut Demelza in half. I cast the Cruciatus curse on my brother Percy and made Fred kill George while under the Imperius curse. I finally walked into the Great Hall and I started casting killing curses at everyone who moved. Harry was the last one standing and he just stood there and asked me why. I tried to tell him it wasn’t me. That I would never do it, but instead, when my mouth opened and the killing curse came out. That’s when I woke up.”

“What do you fear most about the dream? Are you afraid you will hurt the people you care about?”

“No,” she shook her head, “I would never intentionally hurt my friends.”

“What do you fear?”

“I am afraid that I will be forced to hurt them. I am afraid that I will be possessed or put under the Imperius curse and kill someone while not in control. I don’t think I could live with myself if I caused someone I loved harm because I wasn’t strong enough to fight back.”

“We have talked about this, Ginny. Have you talked to your father about starting Occlumency?”

“I don’t want to be a burden.”

“Ginny, you know your father will do anything for you and that your parents are not paying for any of this. Your brother got the Goblins to charge the Malfoy accounts for your care. You are not a burden to them. Talk to him, if you don’t I will. I haven’t said anything because you said you wanted to be the one to talk to him. This is your last chance, if you don’t tell him by our next session I will.”

“Okay.” She looked down at her lap.

“I have been wanting to talk about Mister Potter with you.”

“Why?”

“You seem to hold him in a higher regard than all of your family, why is that?”

“I love him.”

“Do you know him well?”

Ginny frowned, “Well, no, but I just know we are made for each other.”

Healer Blithe frowned, Bill Weasley was right, the girl’s feelings for Mister Potter were bordering on unhealthy. “Why do you say that, Ginny? If you don’t know him how can you know you would be a good match?”

“I just know. I have been dreaming of marrying Harry Potter since I was a little girl. Mom told me stories about his adventures and told me that one day I would marry him and my life would be perfect. I have our whole wedding planned already, he just needs to choose his groomsmen, well other than his Best Man, that’s Ron, obviously.” Her eyes went dreamy.

“Ginny, tell me about Harry.” She steered the girl away from her fantasy wedding, “Not the Harry your mother told you about, but the Harry you met at school.”

She scrunched up her face in thought, “He was different than I expected. He was shy and not very confident. He doesn’t like attention and doesn’t like crowds; he’ll have to get over that as we will be going to a lot of major social events. But he is very brave. He saved my life.”

“Does he notice you?”

“Harry sees me but he doesn’t spend any time with me, that’s okay though, once we’re married, I’ll have him all to myself.”

“Why do you think that is? Why doesn’t he spend time with you?”

“Well, I can’t really talk around him so that might have something to do with it. I get so nervous that I never know what to say. It will get better when we start dating.”

“What is he interested in?”

“I don’t really know. He plays seeker so he must like quidditch, just like me.”

“What is his favorite class?”

“Um, I don’t know. Transfiguration, that’s the one I like best?”

“His favorite color?”

“Red, he has to like red, he is a Gryffindor. I love red.”

“Do you know that for sure?”

“Well, no.”

“What is his favorite children’s story?”

“The Wizard and the Hopping Pot or the Tale of the Three Brothers.”

“Isn’t he muggle raised?”

“Yes.”

“Then he may have never read any of the Tales of Beedle the Bard. He most likely would have been reading about Jack and the Beanstalk or Cinderella.”

“Oh, I guess you might be right, I’ll have to read them to him so he can read them to the children.”

Wow, this girl had a one-track mind in terms of Harry Potter. “Does Harry know your favorite class or favorite color? Does he know what you like to do? Does he know what your favorite story is?” 

Ginny blushed, “No,” she whispered.

“Ginny, I don’t think having a crush on someone is a bad thing but you can’t claim to be destined to be together if you don’t know anything about each other.” She looked the girl in the eye, “Those stories your mother read you about the Boy-Who-Lived were pure fiction. Nothing about them was true. That boy isn’t the one who goes to your school.”

“But I love him.”

“Ginny, you can’t love someone you don’t know.”

“I LOVE HIM. I WILL MARRY HIM.” She stood, turned and walked out the door to her waiting father. “I’m going home now.”

“Give me just a moment, sweetheart.”

Arthur stepped into the room with a question painted on his face.

“I must apologize, Mister Weasley. I did not think she would react that violently. Your son indicated that she was more than a bit obsessed with Harry Potter and as he was one of the ones who saved her, I thought we should broach the subject.”

“That seems wise to me, Healer Blithe.”

“Well, Ginny did not like the idea that she wasn’t going to marry the boy and that she may not actually be in love with him. I think she is in love with the idea of loving him. You saw the result of that discussion.”

Arthur frowned. “What do you suggest?”

“I would like to continue to see her. She is making great strides in dealing with the possession and her actions due to said possession. I would like to get her Occlumency training so she feels more confident that something like this can’t continue, I asked her to approach you about the training; if she does, don’t mention I told you about it, she indicated that she would like to discuss it with you. 

“In the case of Mister Potter, I think we will need to gradually point out the differences between her fantasy and the real person.” The healer bit her lip, “Please, ask your wife to not make any illusions to the impending marriage between them. Ginny said that your wife told her that she and Harry were meant to be. I think she may have latched onto that at some point and now it is her reality.”

“I will speak with Molly and the boys. I will try to keep Harry out of Ginny’s life for now. She needs to be healthy and well-adjusted before we allow her to see him again.” He sighed. Just when Ron seemed to be doing well, Ginny took two steps back.

**St. Mungo’s – Sirius**

Sirius Black was ready to go home, not that he had a home at the moment but he was ready to get out of this hospital room. Narcissa had been to see him every day since her first visit four days ago. She and Remus had discussed plans for his living situation and how they would work together to get him better so that he could do all he planned. Both were 100% behind him on his plans. Remus he had expected, but Cissy had jumped on his ideas and made some suggestions that would help him in the long run.

It had surprised him that she was so willing to help him with Harry. Cissy had always been the most maternal of the Black sisters, but he had never expected her to essentially beg him to allow her to help him care for Harry. She hadn’t tried to take over by any means; she had offered to help, particularly in areas he was less likely to instruct his godson. Harry needed to know about his heritage and Cissy was willing to teach him the customs he thought ridiculous but necessary.

He had already asked Cissy to take over the redecoration of Black manor, after the Goblins checked it out of course. His only request, that it looked nothing like it had in his childhood. He wanted his home to be welcoming, bright.

“Alright, Mister Black, how are you feeling today?” one of his healers asked.

“Bored stiff and ready to get out of here.”

“And how are the nightmares?”

“It will be awhile before they are completely gone, but I feel I’m able to handle them now. They don’t incapacitate me like they used to.”

“How are you feeling physically?”

“I’m not where I was before my stint in Azkaban but I’m improving daily. I can go farther every day.”

“Okay. Well you are at acceptable levels to leave, as long as you agree to weekly checkups with us and you aren’t living alone for the time being.”

“I’ll be staying with my friend Remus Lupin until he moves into Hogwarts at the end of August. If you think I still need someone to look out for me at that point, I will talk to my cousins.”

“That is acceptable, Mister Black. Who will be coming to collect you today?”

“My cousin Narcissa and I have some business to attend to at Gringotts. My accounts have been left to themselves for over a decade so I will be meeting with my account manager. It should be a short meeting. We will be meeting Remus at the Leaky Caldron after that. From there we should be headed to Remus’s home.”

“Okay, I think that should be fine, just don’t do too much on your first outing.”

“Cissy won’t let me overdo it. Her Black upbringing wouldn’t allow her to willfully allow me to endanger myself.”

“Too true, cousin.” Narcissa stood in the open door. “Is the rogue ready to go?”

The healer smiled. She knew what the other woman was insinuating. Sirius Black was an insatiable flirt. “He checks out. As long as he takes it easy, he should be fine.”

“Are you kidding me, I am going to let Remus and Cissy spoil me rotten.” Sirius grinned widely at the irritation in his cousin’s eyes. “Oh come on, Cissy, you know I was kidding.”

“Please tell me Lupin brought you some proper clothes.”

“Why of course. I had him take some of that compensation money the Ministry gave me to buy me some clothes. I just need to change.”

“I shall fill out any paperwork required for your release and be back to collect you.”

“I’ll get those papers for you, Madam Malfoy. We will be sorry to see you go, Mister Black.”

“Oh, you will see me again, Healer Connolly, I have an appointment next week so you can make sure I’m not trying to kill myself by doing too much.”

**Gringotts – Account Manager’s Hall**

Master Brayclaw, account manager for the Black accounts, looked up from the Black files at the knock on his door. Lingal, one of the lower assistants, stuck his head in. 

“Master Black and Madam Malfoy are here for their appointment.”

“Please bring them, immediately.” He was eager to get this meeting started. Brayclaw had done what he could for the Black accounts, but with the former head of house so entrenched in the Pure-blood agenda, he was not authorized to change anything on the account without the Black Head’s approval. The only Black account that had not suffered in recent years was the personal account of Sirius Black because he had given Brayclaw approval to truly manage his account.

A few minutes later Lingal was back with Master Brayclaw’s appointment attendees. 

“Master Brayclaw, may your economic knowledge bring you great fortune.” 

“May your fortunes grow with every business decision, Mister Black.”

“It is good to see you again, Master Brayclaw.”

“It is indeed good to see you, Mister Black. I have done what I could for the Black accounts, but the only account that has not suffered from neglect is your own personal account. The last Lord Black would never authorize me to make changes based on the economic climate.”

“That is to be expected. Most of my family are short sighted. Am I authorized to make changes to the Black accounts?”

“Of course, Mister Black, you remain the Heir of your House despite your illegal imprisonment and despite your mother’s wishes.”

“So mommy dearest was unable to strike me from the family after all.” He mused, “Well, in that case, I would like to use my Account Manager to the fullest. You are the expert in terms of investments and the trends of business, I would like to give you free reign to fix the Black accounts.”

The Goblin smirked, “Very well, Mister Black, I will see to that immediately. Was there anything else?”

“I will be taking up the Headship of the House of Black. I think it best to do that in a controlled setting so, with your permission, I would like to do that today, in the Gringotts Family Magic Ritual Room.” 

“Of course, Mister Black.” Master Brayclaw waved his hand over some parchment on his desk and a moment later a shallow bowl covered in runes appeared as well as a silver dagger. “Here is the Black ritual bowl and Athame.” He tapped a drawer with his finger and then reached inside. He drew out a black wood box. He opened the box and turned it to face his clients. “And here is the Black Head of House ring. As you know if magic accepts your claim to the position of Head, the ring will automatically size to fit you once you place it on your finger.”

Sirius bowed his head slightly. “Thank you, Master Brayclaw.” He picked up the wooden box and handed it to Narcissa. He took the Athame and Ritual Bowl himself.

“If you will follow me,” Master Brayclaw stood and stepped toward the left side of his office. He placed a hand on a rune etched in the wall. The rune pulsed a faint blue and then a panel slid open. The Goblin account manager stepped through the opening, expecting the members of House Black to follow. 

“It is refreshing to have wizards who actually know our ways and traditions. These ritual rooms on this floor have not been used in nearly 100 years. The last time the room you will be performing the Ritual of Claiming in was used was 137 years ago.” He smirked over his shoulder at them. “Most prefer to perform these particular rituals in their family homes. I applaud you for wishing to perform the ritual here, our ritual rooms are regularly checked to ensure the rune work remains intact and the shielding sustained. I have heard rumors of ritual rooms outside of Gringotts being destroyed by the wild magics involved in the Claiming.”

“We have been told the same, Master Brayclaw. The Blacks have the ritual rooms serviced before they perform any rituals in house. We, however, do not know the state of the Manor and wish to focus on making that livable before servicing the secondary rooms.”

Brayclaw nodded to Narcissa as they stepped into a carriage, “Sound reasoning. Please notify Gringotts if we can be of service.” The operator began working the pulley and they started their descent.

“I had actually planned to discuss having Curse Breakers go through Grimmauld Place once we had completed the ritual. My mother was the last in the house and she was quite insane. Only Merlin knows what she could have done to the place and what has happened to it since she passed.” Sirius shuddered at the thought.

“Papers can be drawn up today if that fits into your schedule, Mister Black. We have a squad that should be finished with a job today, they could be ready to start in a day’s time if we came to an agreement.”

“Of course, Master Brayclaw. We, the remaining members of the House of Black, wish to cleanse ourselves of our former reputation. We will spare no expense in expunging that dark past.”

The Goblin only nodded. With a small grunt, the carriage operator stopped their descent five floors down from the Account Managers offices. Brayclaw led them down the hall to the second to last door. “This room is used for the Claiming Ritual. Once we step through the door you will see the runic array carved into the floor, do not cross that array unless you are prepared to start the ritual. Only you, Mister Black should cross beyond the outer runes. You, Madam Malfoy, as witness, should move to the far wall, rounding the array, and step into the proper section. Do you know the area you need to stand in?”

“All Black children are instructed on the designs of ritual arrays in case we are called upon to witness a ritual such as this. I am aware of my responsibilities.”

“I take it then, Mister Black, that you are also aware of where and how to enter the array?”

“Of course, Master Brayclaw.”

The Goblin bowed his head slightly. “Begin whenever you are ready.”

Sirius and Narcissa stepped to the entrance, stopping just outside the door frame, side by side. They shared a look and Sirius took a deep breath. As one, they walked into the room.

As if choreographed, they walked to the edge of the array and then split to walk around it going opposite directions. Sirius stopped, turned toward the center of the array and waited for Narcissa to reach her position. When she arrived, she stopped just outside the entrance to the witness staging.

“I, Sirius Black, Heir of the Noble and Most Ancient house of Black, make my claim by blood and magic to the title of Head of House Black.”

“I, Narcissa Malfoy, daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, stand as witness to the Heir Apparent laying claim to the Headship of the House of Black by blood and magic.”

The outer rune circle pulsed a deep blue.

As one, they moved forward; Narcissa taking exactly three steps into the center of the small rune circle connected to the larger array. Sirius walked forward with long strides, talking exactly nine steps, to reach the center of the runic array that held a small rune covered table. The runes lit up with his passage. He placed the Black Ritual Bowl on the rune for Blood, centered on the table. As the bowl hit the table, the magic pulsing through the array lite the bowl and completed the circuit. 

“With blood, I make my claim.” He cut his palm with the Athame then held his hand over the bowl. He allowed blood to drip from his hand for a full eighty-one seconds. The runes of the circle pulsed with each drop of blood. The blue hue lightening with each pulse.

“As witness, I approve the sacrifice of blood.”

“With magic, I make my claim.” Sirius placed his hands on either side of the bowl, over two identical runes representing magic and pushed the magic from his core to his palms, into the array.

“As witness, I feel the sacrifice of magic.”

“As Heir of House Black, named and sanctioned by the former Head of House Black, I call upon the magic of House Black to judge my claim by blood and magic.”

The runic array pulsed with crystal blue magic. Sirius felt the family magic coursing through him, feeling his intentions, his mistakes, his hopes, his dreams, his plans, his fears. Everything that was Sirius Black was open to the magic of his family.

Narcissa forced her eyes to stay open, to remain a true witness as the magic pulsed and the runes glowed brighter and clearer. 

Sirius threw back his head in a silent scream as the magic began to sing off the walls. In a rush, the light eliminating the runes sped through the shades of blue, getting lighter with each second. With a final pulse, the runes flashed a brilliant white, so bright that it was blinding to look at.

And then there was nothing. 

The magic dissipated.

The runes faded.

Sirius stood tall, bathed in magic. His very skin seemed to glow softly.

“As witness, I decree that the House of Black has a new Head.” Narcissa said as clearly as she was able.

“I, Sirius Black, have been judged, by blood and magic, and found worthy. I claim Headship of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.”

Sirius turned and took nine long strides to exit the array. Narcissa retreated three steps to exit the witness’s stage. As one they walked around the array meeting where they began. 

Narcissa opened the black wooden box. “As witness and daughter of House Black, I present to you the ring representing your position as Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.”

“As your new Head, I take the ring and responsibilities of Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.” He took the ring from the box, admiring the blood red garnet with the family crest carved into it, set on a thick, shining silver band. Slowly, he slid the ring onto his right index finger and felt the ring fit snuggly to his skin. No one could remove it from his hand now, at least as long as the family magic approved of him.

Sirius and Narcissa turned toward the door and walked out, their steps in sync.

“Congratulations, Lord Black.” The Goblin nodded his head. “It would seem we have some business to discuss concerning the care of your family home.”

“Indeed, Master Brayclaw. Please lead the way.” Sirius Black was one step closer to his goal of being a father figure to Harry.

Outside Gringotts, members of the House of Black, all those of blood and magic felt a pulse. A pulse of magic that announced the arrival of a new Head of House.

**Gringotts – Healer’s Hall**

**_Harry,_ **

**_I’m not sure if you know much of anything about me but I am Sirius Black. I was your father’s friend and I considered him my brother, the only true family I had during my youth. There was no one more important in my life than your parents and you. Your parents named me your godfather._ **

**I know you have spoken to Remus, another of our friends, and so I suppose you do know that at least. (Please bear with me I have been working on this letter for a while and it may be a bit scattered.)**

_I suppose, the first thing I should do is apologize to you. I wanted to be there for you. I would have done anything for you. But I made a truly stupid mistake and paid a price for it. When I lost your parents, I was devastated. But I had you. Then, moments later, you were taken from me at the orders of another and instead of doing what I should have, following the man who took you, I went after the one responsible for us losing James and Lily._

_Somehow, Pettigrew outsmarted me. (I have been led to believe that you know who this is and that you know at least some of what he did.) He betrayed your parents to the man who had the wizarding world at its knees. He was the only person capable of giving away their location and I knew this, so in my devastation and rage I went after him. I hoped to bring him to stand judgement for what he did. I wanted him to end up spending the rest of his miserable life with regular visits from the Dementors of Azkaban, foul creatures, but instead, that is where I ended up._

_The only defense I have for that situation was that if I had been given a trial, which was my right, I would have been there. I was lost to your charms the moment I held you in my arms the day you were born._

_I have regretted my decision every moment, of every day since._

_Now, however, is not the time to dwell on the past. I want to get to know you, Harry. I want to tell you about your parents and your first words. Your first step and your first bout of accidental magic. I want to show you the memory of your first time on a broom and how angry your mum was that we put you on one when you were only a year old. I want to tell you about your parents and their hopes for you. Most of all I want you to be happy._

_I have been in St. Mungo’s, healing. Sitting in a prison cell with Dementors outside your door for over a decade is not good for you physically or mentally. Luckily, I had something to diminish the mental strain. I will be let out at the end of the week and from there I will be staying with Remus while I have my family home cleaned out and redecorated. That place is awful. If it is alright with you, I would like to set up a time where we could meet and start to get to know each other. I am available for anything._

_Remus told me that he met you. I am so jealous of him. He said you have great friends and that I would love the twins. He was extremely happy with your friend Hermione too, he said she would have me wrapped around her little finger in no time because, like me, she cares about you._

_And reading that, I think I probably embarrassed you. Sorry._

**_Pup, know that I love you. (I called you pup when you were a baby. I am an animagus and my form is that of a dog. Plus, it drove James crazy.) I will do anything for you so don’t hesitate to ask me. I know you don’t know me, but perhaps one day we can call each other family._ **

_Love always,_

**_Sirius Black_ **

**_Uncle Padfoot_ **

**_P.S. I am sure you noticed but the handwriting changed for a bit there. I haven’t had the chance to write anything in years so my hands cramp easily. My cousin Narcissa helped me write this. I hope to be able to write my own correspondence soon._ **

Harry put the letter down. He had read it a dozen times since he had woken in the Gringotts infirmary. The letter had been delivered the day after the ritual. The ritual to cleanse his scar had worked. He hadn’t needed the Healers or Curse Breakers to tell him that either, he could feel it. 

Somehow, he woke feeling lighter, stronger, healthier. He felt clean. He hadn’t even realized he felt dirty to begin with. The best part was, his scar was fainter. The Goblin healers said that, with time, it would fade until it was nearly unnoticeable.

Hermione had visited yesterday. Bill had gone to get her when the Goblins informed him that he had awoken. She had clung to him and cried. It had killed him to see her so upset. She claimed that the three days since the ritual had been the longest of her life. He had held her as she cried. When her tears dried, she had smacked his shoulder and told him never to scare her like that again, or else. He really didn’t want to know what ‘or else’ meant.

She had stayed a few hours and they had just sat there talking or sitting in silence, enjoying each other’s company. 

After Hermione left last night, the Goblin Curse Breaker, Master Holgrind, had come to talk to him. He had explained that there had been a portion of Voldemort’s soul trapped magically between his skin and the muscle tissue of his forehead. The soul piece was not able to control him but it was able to leach some of his magic away, which apparently explained why he felt stronger. The soul piece was also essentially a concentration of pure loathing and despair, which is why he felt lighter. 

Because the soul piece was able to leech off his magic, it fought hard, but it was gone now. 

It was terrifying to think that his heart had stopped beating and the only reason he was alive was because of Bill and Hermione. Maybe he should cook them a nice dinner in thanks.

“Hey. How are you feeling?”

Harry looked up to see Bill standing at the end of his bed. Odd, he hadn’t heard him approach. “I feel great. It’s like I’m clean for the first time in my life.”

“I’m glad.” Bill put down some clothes on the bed. “I brought you something to change into. The Goblin healers want to do one more scan but they think you can leave right after that.”

Harry smiled widely. “That would be great. I really hate hospitals. I always get so bored waiting to do something.”

Bill smiled. Miss Granger had said he spent an awful lot of time in the Hospital Wing at school. He sighed, “Look, Harry, I went to get some clothes for you for when you were released and your aunt wasn’t happy about it.” Bill closed his eyes. He didn’t think Harry should go back there but he also didn’t want to tell him why he now couldn’t. “Your aunt told me to take your stuff and tell you that you weren’t welcome back. Ever. I’m really sorry.”

Harry laughed slightly. “That’s okay, Bill. I actually think that’s great news, except for the fact that I don’t know where I’ll be staying until school.” He smiled at Bill. “Privet Drive was never my home. It was just somewhere I was forced to sleep at night.”

“You’re sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“Alright. Well, I have your stuff at my place. You are welcome to sleep in my guest room until we figure something out for you. I would offer to ask my parents if you could stay but with Ron and Ginny, I don’t think that is such a good idea right now.”

“Thanks, Bill, that would mean a lot to me. I agree that staying at the Burrow is not a good idea right now. Plus, I find it very intimidating. I love most of your family but your mom scares me sometimes, Ginny makes me nervous with her staring and giggling, and Ron and I would probably come to blows with the way things are between us right now.”

“If it makes you feel better, my mom scares me sometimes too. Ron is getting better; he only thinks you are the root of all evil about 10% of the time now. Ginny, things aren’t going so great with Ginny where you’re concerned. It’s mostly because of her that I think we should avoid the Burrow.”

“I’m glad Ron is getting better. But I don’t think we can ever be friends again, at least not like we used to be. Too much was said and I think we are just too different, especially with the way I want to live my life now; Ron doesn’t really do studying.”

“I think he agrees. I don’t have details but I think there are some things they just can’t fix with his memory.”

“Good afternoon, Mister Potter, Curse Breaker Weasley.” Goblin Healer Garnet smiled slightly as she walked toward Harry’s bed. “Let’s get you checked out so I can send you home. I can tell you don’t want to be here.”

“I really don’t like being confined to a bed.” Harry looked down at his hands. 

Healer Garnet just nodded and waved her hand in front of Harry. She examined the results and nodded to Bill. “Alright, Mister Potter, you seem to be as good as new. There is no lingering trace of Dark Magics in your scar and your core seems stronger than it was before the ritual. I will be sending word to your instructors informing them to watch you carefully, you may have more magic at your disposal when casting so I suggest you only cast in the presence of someone trained until you are sure you can handle the excess magic. You are free to go.”

“Thank you, Healer Garnet.”

“Yes, thank you, Healer Garnet. Is there anything I should know as Harry will be staying with me for now?”

“No, Curse Breaker Weasley, I think the only thing to watch out for is his casting and as he is on summer break that shouldn’t be an issue until September.”

**Gringotts - Main Visitors Area**

“How are you feeling, Siri?”

“Honestly, I feel better than I ever have.”

“Really, earlier you felt weak and then you went through the ritual. I would have expected you to feel drained.”

“Oh, that’s what I expected too, but, apparently, being accepted as the Head has added benefits. If the family magic feels you are right for the post, truly right, then it replenishes. This doesn’t happen to everyone who takes the title, just the ones that magic feels earned it.”

“How do you know this?”

“Not sure, I just do.”

“Interesting.” They continued to walk toward the entrance. “I would like to applaud your forethought in saying you had no knowledge of what exactly is in the house. Making the deal that allows them to dispose of anything past a level four, at your cost, was brilliant and something I planned to bring up.”

“Why thank you, Cissy. I knew I had to though. Knowing how entrenched Mother was in all things Dark, she very well could have collected artifacts that fall under a level six or seven infraction. I can only hope she never collected anything higher than that.”

“Making the deal as you did clears you of her crimes even if she did.”

“True, but I still hope there isn’t anything that bad there.”

“We will get things fixed, cousin, and eventually the House of Black will once again be respected in our society.”

He nodded. He scanned the room. It was odd being out among the general populace. He had been in prison for so long, then in the hospital, that he almost felt claustrophobic surrounded by so many people.

A head of messy dark hair caught his eye. “Harry?” he asked, walking toward the person.

The young man turned, his wide, emerald green eyes looking right at him. He looked so much like James and Lily. 

“Yes, is there something I can do for you, sir?”

Sirius smiled brightly, “Hi, Harry. I’m your godfather Sirius Black. And this is my cousin, Narcissa.”

Harry held out a hand and shook his hand while Bill kissed Narcissa’s knuckles.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Madam Malfoy.”

“A pleasure, Mister Potter, Mister Weasley.” She smiled slightly at them, “Forgive me, but I am unsure which of Arthur’s sons you are.”

“That’s quite alright ma’am,” he said with a bit of a laugh; there were a lot of Weasley children. “I’m his eldest, Bill.”

“Ah, yes, you’re a Curse Breaker, correct? That is quite the accomplishment. You should be very proud of all you have achieved.”

“Thank you.”

Harry, following Bill’s example, kissed Narcissa’s knuckles too. “I am pleased to meet you, ma’am.” She seemed nice, even if her name was Malfoy. She hadn’t scowled or sneered at him yet, that was a good sign.

“It is lovely to meet you, Harry.”

“Hi, Harry.”

“Hi, Sirius. Uncle Padfoot,” Harry mumbled slightly before looking at his feet. “Sorry I haven’t written back; I’ve been…busy.” He hoped that was an okay way to phrase that. He really didn’t want to go into details in public. 

“That’s okay. If you’re not busy, maybe we could have a bite to eat together.

“I would like that,” Harry said rather shyly.

**Hogwarts Headmaster’s office**

The office of the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was empty. It was unfortunate that it was because, with no warning at all, the devices monitoring the residence of the Dursley family stopped working. 

Two glass balls shattered. 

A spinning disk stopped spinning. 

An oddly shaped kettle stopped puffing smoke. 

For the first time since November 1st 1981, the office was silent.

The wards at 4 Privet Drive were no more.


	10. Connections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, violence, gore, and death in this chapter.

**Diagon Alley, The Silver Goblet Restaurant**

Harry, Bill, Sirius, Remus and Narcissa walked into the upscale restaurant housed in the rich section of Diagon Alley. Narcissa spoke to the hostess and arranged for a private room. Sirius and Narcissa had planned to have lunch at the Leaky Cauldron, much to Narcissa’s dismay. The introduction of Harry and Bill to their party meant Narcissa was able to talk them into dining at the Silver Goblet instead.

The group was led to the upper floor which held 13 private rooms that could be rented for a price. They were well decorated, cozy, and well warded so that no one could hear what was discussed inside the individual rooms.

The group sat around the perfectly sized table and examined the menus. They made their selections before they really began talking.

"So, Harry, how have you been since I saw you last week?" Remus asked, attempting to break the awkward silence.

Harry wasn't sure what to say to that. He looked at Bill who shrugged. "It has been an eventful few days for me. After we left the Alley the whole group, that is the Gryffindor quidditch team, Percy Weasley and Hermione Granger," Harry clarified for those who had not been at the ice cream parlor that day, "went to Katie's house for a barbeque sleep over. It was great we all cooked food over the fire and told stories and talked. Then we slept in tents." He grinned, "Wizarding tents are amazing. I figured we would all be in sleeping bags on the ground but everyone had a bed."

"Yeah, Wizarding tents are definitely better then muggle ones," Bill agreed. "We have to use them when we work with muggle archeologists on digs. Sleeping on the ground kills the back even when the ground is sand instead of stone."

"The next day Hermione and I met Professor Snape and he taught us how to render a basilisk for parts. It is hard work, but I think it may be very useful information in the future. The Professor asked me what I thought should be done with the carcass despite the fact that he was the one who killed it. It was really great of him. I told him that I thought the students who were petrified should receive something, Ginny too, and that some money should go to the school. I suggested that the school replace the practice brooms that are used by people without their own, they are in really rough shape."

"Those are lovely suggestions, Mister Potter," Narcissa smiled at the boy. She noticed that he didn't say anything about receiving any of the profits himself. Her son would have. Harry was a polite boy and thought more of others.

"Thank you, Madam Malfoy."

"What did you do after that, Harry?" Sirius wanted to know everything.

"Um, well," Harry looked at Bill.

"I was concerned by the fact that Harry's scar looked like it was brand new, despite being over a decade old, so I took him to the Goblin healers to have them evaluate it. They found some trace dark magic compressed in his scar and so they removed it," Bill thought that was close enough to the truth for Harry without revealing any sensitive information.

"There was dark magic in your scar?" Everyone could hear the fear in Sirius's voice.

"Well, yeah," Harry shrugged. "The Goblins were great though, it's all gone now and I feel great. When I woke up after the ritual I felt so much cleaner and lighter then I had before that." There he was again sharing more of himself with people he had barely met. But, for some reason, Sirius Black made him feel safe. He looked into the man's eyes and pictured a big, goofy black dog grinning a doggy grin at him. It made him smile.

"It is a relief to know that the darkness has been removed," Narcissa was shocked. Why had no one else thought it odd that the scar was so dark after over ten years. Scars faded, usually after only a few months depending on how bad they were. The only ones that didn't were cursed scars. Her eyes met Bill's, yes, they were hiding something about that scar.

"Enough of this dark topic." Remus said, seeing his friend starting to panic thinking about what might have happened to Harry. "Why don't you tell us about your quidditch victories, Prongslet?"

Harry beamed, "I love flying. It was the first thing about magic that really made me feel like I belonged. I sat on that crappy school broom and just knew what to do. Nothing has ever come that easy for me."

Sirius leaned forward. "You had been on a broom before, Pup. I got you a toy broom for your first birthday. Thought your mum was going to kill me when she saw what was in the box. Your dad and I put you on the thing after spelling the entire house with cushioning charms and you shot off like a rocket. Those toy brooms don't go that fast, but you had been on that little broom for about five seconds before you were zooming around the room like you had been using the broom your whole life." He chuckled, "It drove the cat crazy. You loved that damn cat, but being a baby, you didn't really understand that cats don't like it when you pull their tails, so she avoided you like the plague. When you got the broom, however, she couldn't outrun you anymore."

Harry and Sirius grinned at each other. "Thanks for getting me my first broom, even if I don't remember it."

"Your welcome, Harry. I think the best part of that day was the fact that you called me Padfoot for the first time." Sirius snorted, "Well, it came out Pafoo but we all got what you meant."

"Just remember, Padfoot, Harry said Moony first."

"You know that that is only because Mooey is a lot closer to Mama than Pafoo is to Dada."

"This is true, but he still said Moony first."

Sirius frowned, "Well, at least we can honestly say that baby Harry wasn't all that fond of the rat. He never said any variation of his names."

Remus smirked, "Harry called him Pee Pee."

Sirius burst out laughing. "I completely forgot about that. Even Lily laughed at that."

"I called Peter Pettigrew, Pee Pee?"

"Yeah, you did. I think the only time you ever addressed him was to say 'Pee Pee, Hawee dow.' You always wanted him to put you down or give you to someone else."

"And no one suspected there was something to learn from the babe's behavior?" asked Narcissa. "Babies are said to be excellent judges of character. Draco absolutely loathed being held by my sister and her husband and we all know where those two ended up." She smirked at Harry. "They have neighboring cells in Azkaban where they will live the remainder of their lives paying for their sins."

Harry tilted his head. "Does this mean I get to say 'I told you so.'?"

Remus and Sirius shared a bemused glance while Narcissa and Bill laughed at Harry's wit.

"I guess it does, Pup, I guess it does," Sirius conceded. He shook his head, in a way baby Harry had told him.

The afternoon progressed with Harry telling tales about his school years while the adults grew more and more concerned with the safety of Hogwarts students. Someone was going to have to talk to the Hogwarts staff and soon.

**4 Privet Drive**

Petunia Dursley woke with a start.

Vernon rolled over, "see what that freak is up to now." He was asleep again before she could comment.

Petunia climbed out of bed and pulled her bathrobe on. There was a crash downstairs and the sound of breaking glass. "Vernon, I think someone's broken into the house."

"Just the boy, Pet."

"He hasn't been here in almost a week Vernon and he wouldn't break something." She jumped at the sound of another crash.

Vernon sat up, "I'll kill the boy for breaking our things. Just glad Dudley isn't here to see our things broken."

"Vernon, I don't think…"

"I won't actually kill him, Pet. Call the police and say there is someone breaking in. I'll go deal with the boy and when they get here, they can arrest him and then we will be done with him."

"But Vernon," she started but he was already out the door. Petunia Dursley rushed to the hall phone, they didn't have one in their room, and dialed the emergency line.

"Surrey, Police, what is your emergency?"

"There is someone breaking into my house, my husband thinks its children, but I don't think he's right. We live in a good neighborhood."

"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE," Petunia heard her husband yell from the ground floor. "I DEMAND…" she gasped as her husband was cut off.

"Hurry, I think they are dangerous."

"We have officers on the way ma'am, just give me your full address."

"4 Privet Drive, Little Whi…"

"Ma'am, I didn't get that. Could you please repeat?"

….

"Ma'am are you there?"

…

"Ma'am?"

"The lady isn't able to talk right now. She won't be able to talk ever again," a man spoke into the receiver before hanging the phone up.

"Get all you can from the fat one. I'll take the horse. Once you have gotten all you can, feel free to have some fun, but if you hear sirens finish it and get out of here."

The other man nodded from his post at the top of the stairs before heading back down to the living room where the fat man was unconscious.

"Now, what can you tell me about Harry Potter?"

Petunia screamed, and then the pain came.

When the police arrived, 4 Privet Drive was silent. The door was broken in, the windows in front shattered. Most of the furniture was broken or overturned. They found the mutilated body of Vernon Dursley splayed across the living room floor. The man was unrecognizable.

Ascending the stairs, they found doors blown off their hinges and more furniture in shambles.

The two officers entered what must have been a well-kept master bedroom. Petunia Dursley was spread eagle, naked and pinned to the wall. Her face stuck in the act of screaming. Her throat was slashed almost clean through to the other side. She had been gutted and her organs were spilling out of her body.

The attackers were nowhere to be found.

In the smallest bedroom everything was left as it should have been. Nothing was broken or overturned. The furniture in this room was in poor quality due to age and neglect. The only evidence that this room had even been entered was the message, written in blood, scrawled across a bare wall.

**_We will finish what he started, Harry Potter_ **

**Granger Residence**

Hermione Granger was happy. Her life was going her way. She had friends, she had a boyfriend, and her parents had left her alone, for the most part. She didn't have to go to some boring dental conference, life was grand.

She walked down the stairs, a book in her hand, she was rereading Shakespeare's works, and headed for the kitchen. Her mother was at the table eating a bowl of fruit, her father was reading the paper while standing at the counter sipping his tea.

She put her book down on the counter and headed for the fridge. She grabbed the bowl of cut fruit and a tub of yogurt and put a small helping of both into a bowl. "Good morning, father, mother."

"Good morning, Hermione." Her mother looked up and nodded at her choice of breakfast food, they did not have greasy food in their house. "Do you have any plans with those friends of yours today?"

"Lavender, Parvati and Fay wanted to get together today and go shopping."

"We have to be at work shortly, so we can't take you." Her father didn't even look up from his paper.

"I was going to walk to the bus and then take that to where we planned to meet." Her parents didn't need to know that the bus she was catching was the Knight bus and it could literally take her anywhere on the island. "Is that alright?"

"I'm fine with it as long as you act in a respectable manner."

"Be careful and stay with your friends." Her mother grabbed her purse, "Do you need any money?"

"I wouldn't mind. Lavender said she would take me to the place she got the special shampoo from, you did say you much preferred my hair ever since I started using it."

"Yes, of course. If your friend has any other tips you are willing to listen to please do. I like my daughter more when she cares for her appearance." Grace Granger handed her daughter 200 £.

"Thank you, Mother."

"I am alright with it as long as you stay away from that place in Surrey where that friend of yours lives."

"Why, Father," she asked, her voice shaking slightly. She had a bad feeling about whatever her father was about to say.

"There was a double homicide in Little Whinging last night. The papers don't have a lot of detail as it happened around midnight but they say that the people in the house were tortured before they were killed."

"You said Little Whinging?"

"Yes."

"Did the papers list the address?"

"No, they won't release that until the next of kin has been notified, but they did list the street." He looked down at the front-page article, "Let's see where it was, ah here it is, Privet Drive."

"Is that the street that boy lives on?" her mother asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Hermione lied, "He lives a few streets over on Magnolia Crescent." Hermione finished her breakfast and put her dishes in the washer. "Well, I am going to go get ready to go."

"Please be responsible and let us know if you're not coming home."

"Of course, Mother." She rushed out of the room and quickly got dressed for the day.

Harry lived on Privet Drive. The universe seemed to hate him so she just knew that the murder occurred at his aunt's home. She just hoped he hadn't gone back. No, she knew he hadn't gone back. She would know if Harry was hurt, in danger or… she couldn't finish the thought.

In record time, and for a girl who didn't take long to get ready in the first place that was saying something, she was ready. Her parents had left only moments before. She grabbed her shoulder bag, pulled out her wand and summoned the Knight Bus.

The large triple decker bus popped into existence right in front of her. "Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for stranded witches and wizards. My name is Stan and I'll be your conductor today."

Hermione handed the man the fee, "Hello, Stan, one standard trip to the Leaky Cauldron." She walked past him and sat on the nearest bed.

The bus shot forward and they were on their way. Hermione wasn't sure what to do so she was going to the one person who had been around Harry recently. She needed Bill. She just hoped he was at work and not at the Burrow.

Three stops later Stan called out, "Leaky Cauldron."

Hermione jumped to her feet and hustled off the bus. She didn't have any time to lose.

The Leaky Caldron was just as it always was, relatively busy and horribly lit. She rushed through the pub to the alley behind the building and tapped the proper bricks opening the entrance to Diagon Alley. She squared her shoulders and walked quickly toward the large white building on the far side of the Alley.

She walked through the front doors and nodded in respect to the guards, she saw one of them nod in return, she had thought he looked familiar. Hermione made her way to the lines of tellers and stood in the line farthest from the door. This line was not actually designed for people requesting visits to vaults or exchanging pounds for Galleons, this line was supposed to be for wizards with appointments or requests to make appointments with account managers. She had also been told that if you were looking for a Gringotts employee this was the line you should wait in. Most however didn't follow the Goblin procedures so lines were not always as short as they should be.

It took a good half hour for the line to clear, she watched as 4 wizards argued with the Goblin at the head of line who tried to direct them toward the proper line, it was those individuals who slowed the whole process down.

"May all your business dealings turn a profit, Master Silvertooth," she said as she approached the desk and read the nameplate.

"May you find riches you deserve, Miss. What can Gringotts help you with today?"

"I am sorry to intrude, but I am looking for Curse Breaker Weasley."

The Goblin grabbed a sheet of blank parchment from a stack to his left and waved his hand over the page. "Curse Breaker Weasley is in a meeting with Master Holgrind at this time. It is unknown how long this meeting will last."

"Oh, alright. Could you perhaps tell me if," she looked around, leaned in and lowered her voice so only the Goblin could hear, "Harry Potter is still residing in the domain of the Goblin Healers?"

The Goblin grabbed another sheet of parchment from a different pile and again waved his hand over the page, "Records show the patient was released yesterday, Curse Breaker Weasley was tasked in returning him to his home."

Hermione bit her lip, "Could I leave a message for Curse Breaker Weasley?"

"You may, the message will be delivered to the Curse Breaking offices and when the recipient is out of his meeting, he will receive it."

"Thank you, tell the Curse Breaker that Hermione Granger is at Flourish and Blotts and wishes to see him at his earliest convenience. It is concerning a resident of Privet Drive. He should know what I mean."

"The message will be delivered, Miss Granger."

"Thank you, Master Silvertooth. May your descendants live happily off the wealth you accumulate."

"May your days be long and bountiful, Miss Granger."

Hermione walked out of the bank and toward Flourish and Blotts. She hoped Bill didn't take too long, she was supposed to meet her dorm mates for lunch at 11:30 at the new café just down from the bank. She had three hours until then and she hoped to know that Harry was fine long before that.

**Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office**

Albus led Severus into his circular office. They had had several meetings with different parties about the sale of the Basilisk.

The Goblins had been ecstatic about the amount of meat the carcass would provide; Basilisk meat was a rare delicacy due to the fact that so few of the great snakes remained in existence. The goblins were also going to purchase the largest of the fangs, apparently, they would make great weapons.

They were selling most of the skin to a man who made exceptional body armor.

The older shed skin would be split between Severus and an Apothecary. The shed skin was useful in a number of rare potions.

The venom was going almost entirely to Severus for research; Severus also thought it would be useful in destroying Horcruxes. He didn't have much of Nagini's venom left from his experiments and Basilisk venom was much more potent. Two small vials of the venom would be sold to Potions Masters that Severus respected, neither lived in Europe so would have no connection to the Dark Lord.

The smaller fangs were to be used for potions and to make a few knives. Certain bones were useful in potions as well and would either be kept for Severus or sold to Apothecaries.

Severus was giving a portion of the proceeds from the sale to those who were Petrified as well as Ginny Weasley. Minerva, Harry Potter and the Weasley twins would also be given a stipend. Hogwarts would get about a third of the proceeds and Severus would get what remained.

"I am proud of you, my boy," Albus smiled his most grandfatherly smile. "What you are doing for the school and those affected by the Basilisk shows just what kind of man you are."

"I do not need that much money, Albus. I am the last of the Prince family and inherited their vaults, I am not poor. Mister Potter's suggestions were not unreasonable, so I followed his suggestion. Whether Hogwarts gets new brooms or not is up to the Headmaster and Deputy Head to decide based on what is most pertinent to spend the funds on. All I wanted was a supply of the parts that are useful in potions."

Albus just smiled knowingly. He walked toward his desk but stopped suddenly. Something was not right. He whirled around and stopped dead at the site of the objects on the table to the left of the door.

"Headmaster?" Severus called questioningly.

"The wards at Privet Drive have fallen," he whispered.

Severus froze.

"What of Harry Potter?"

Albus looked at Severus, "I do not know." Albus stumbled toward his chair as his legs began to give out. "Severus, I need you to go to Privet Drive now. You are much more adept at fitting in. Find what information you can and report back to me as soon as possible. We must learn Harry's fate."

Severus did not reply. He turned on his heel and walked quickly out of the office toward his quarters. He needed a few things. It took him far less time than usual to get to his quarters. He flew around his rooms, gathering what he needed. Moments later he was headed to Privet Drive.

**Flourish and Blotts**

Hermione was frustrated. Normally, being in a bookstore would make her day. The smell made her smile. She relished in the feel of pressed paper in her hands. The feel of that rare volume covered in leather. Finding that perfect book, one that spoke to her intellectually and emotionally. Bookstores and libraries were her version of Utopia.

Today, she couldn't focus. She had, on more than one occasion, found herself holding a book yet had not even read the cover details.

She was just too worried. Hermione needed to know if Harry was okay. She needed to know that her best friend wasn't injured. She needed to know that her boyfriend was alive and well.

The fact that her father had said double murder gave her some relief, there were four people living at 4 Privet Drive, but the universe seemed to enjoy heaping distress on Harry. Her father had been correct, the article gave next to no details because it had been a rush to get what little they had ready of the morning addition, someone at the paper must have pulled an all-night-er just to get the small article printed. The only thing anyone was sure of was that this was not a disturbed burglary attempt; there appeared to be nothing missing from the home.

Hermione looked at the book in her hands, it was an Arithmancy text. She just couldn't focus. She huffed out a breath and put the book back on the shelf and started to walk toward the front door; she would get some tea to calm her nerves.

Stepping onto the main sidewalk of the Alley she turned toward the little tea shop her parents always stopped at when they came to get her supplies. She stopped when something caught her eye. That hair had looked familiar.

She pushed through the crowded street toward where she had seen that head of hair. There was a break in the flow of people and Hermione saw him.

She broke out into a run, "HARRY," she yelled.

The boy turned just in time to catch Hermione as she launched herself at him. "Hey, Hermione," he was happy to see her but confused by her tone and actions.

Hermione squeezed him tightly trying to hold back her tears of relief. "Harry, I was so worried."

"Um, you knew I was doing better and was being released from Gringotts yesterday."

"No, it's not that." She pulled back and bit her lip. "Um," she looked around at all the people, "I don't know if I should say anything out in the open."

Harry looked over and Hermione noticed for the first time that Harry wasn't alone. Standing just behind him was a tall, thin man, with a well-trimmed goatee and sharp gray eyes. "Sirius, is there somewhere around here we could go to talk?"

"Sure thing, Harry, we can get a private meeting room at the Leaky." He smiled, "Hello, I assume you are the wonderful Hermione Granger I have heard so much about?" She nodded, "I am Sirius Black, Harry's godfather."

Hermione pulled out of Harry's arms and shook his extended hand. "It's nice to meet you. I know Harry was very excited to meet you after he got your letter, as was I."

Sirius smiled, "Come on, let's get out of this crowd."

The threesome was led to a private room by Tom. The room was small and, like the rest of the establishment, it was poorly lit and dingy. When asked, they ordered some tea and biscuits, Tom had the order for them shortly.

"Okay, Hermione, what is going on?" Harry asked in concern. "It looked like you were about to cry when you saw me."

Hermione wrung her hands on the table. "Where are you staying right now, Harry?"

The boy tilted his head, that didn't really answer his question but he knew she would get to the point eventually. "I'm staying with Bill at his flat. It's on one of the side streets off the Alley. Why?"

She sagged slightly, "I don't have all the details, but my father mentioned an attack in Surrey last night. He told me not to go see you there because of it." She looked him in the eye, "It was in the newspaper. There was a double homicide on Privet Drive."

Harry's eyes widened, "Which house?"

"The article didn't say. They won't be releasing the number until the next of kin has been contacted." Hermione sniffed, "I thought for sure it was your aunt and uncle's house because of all that has happened to you. I was terrified that you were hurt or missing. The article said that the victims were tortured before they were killed."

"My aunt told Bill that I was never welcome, that I could never go back there," he shook his head, "You said it was a double murder?"

She nodded.

"It could have been somewhere else. Without me there, there would have been three people living there. Of course, Dudley could have been staying with someone else last night." He scrunched his face in thought. How was he supposed to feel? If it was his aunt's house that meant that his aunt and uncle were dead and Dudley could be missing. A part of him knew it was their house. With his luck it could be no other house. He wasn't sad. He did, sort of, feel sorry for Dudley losing his parents and realized Marge would face losing her brother, but the sense of relief he had felt upon hearing he was not welcome back had not faded. Did he want his aunt and uncle dead? No. Would he mourn them? Probably not. "What if it is Aunt Petunia's house? What should I feel?"

"Oh, Harry," Hermione grabbed his hand.

"Pup," Sirius said softly. Harry turned his attention to his godfather, "I didn't know your aunt and uncle but I did know that your mother didn't like them. I don't know if they have changed, I don't think they did, but I do know that your mum said that she never wanted you near her sister. Your mum was one of the kindest, most forgiving people in the world but she described Petunia Dursley as a bigoted, self-important gossip. Vernon Dursley, she described simply as horrible, she often couldn't find enough words to describe how much she detested him." He put a hand on Harry's shoulder, "What I am try to say is that, if you don't feel sorrow at their murder, no one would blame you."

"Exactly, Harry. The Dursleys were horrible to you, so if you can't feel any grief then don't force yourself to."

Harry smiled softly, "Thanks. I don't know what I should do."

"Maybe we should talk to Bill," suggested Sirius. Bill was familiar with the place.

"Why should you talk to me?" Bill stepped into the room. "Hello, Hermione, I see you found Harry."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Bill. I completely forgot that I left you a message saying I would be at Flourish and Blotts. I got frustrated and was going to get a cup of tea and then go straight back but then I saw Harry and forgot."

"It's alright, Hermione. Did you know all the employees know you by name? I asked if the witch at the counter had seen you and she actually watched your mad dash across the Alley, ending with you flinging yourself at Harry. She said you had headed this way with these two, so I asked Tom if you had come through and he told me you were in this room." He wanted to laugh at the identical blushes on Harry and Hermione's faces. "What is going on Hermione?"

She grabbed her purse and pulled out the front page of the newspaper her father had been reading that morning. "I forgot I had this," she grinned sheepishly as she handed it to Bill.

Bill read the article; his eyes went wide when the street was listed. "I'm going to go check out Privet Drive. Can you all wait here?" The three nodded and Bill headed for Privet Drive.

**4 Privet Drive**

Severus Snape stood staring at 4 Privet Drive, for once, unsure how to proceed. Number 4, the home of Vernon and Petunia Dursley, was a crime scene. The windows and doors had been sealed off with sheets of wood and plastic. There was tape surrounding the home so that no one would enter. He could sense dark magic in the area, concentrated in two locations in the house; one on the ground floor, one on the second floor. He knew people had died in that house, but he didn't know who. He could not sense the wards that were surrounding the house on his last visit. He wondered when they fell. What he wanted to know was, where was Harry Potter?

"You were the one that Harry left with the other day, right?"

Severus turned his head to look at a slim boy with dirty blond hair. "I am." He studied the boy, "Can you tell anything about what happened at Number 4?"

The boy glanced at the house, "Someone killed Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. My dad has trouble sleeping and when he was wandering the house last night, he saw that the door was broken in and some of the windows were broken too. He called the police and when they arrived, they found the Dursleys dead. The police asked if dad heard anything, but he didn't. Rumor is that they were tortured before they were killed. Dad wouldn't let me read the paper, but Mick said that the paper said that they were tortured."

"And what of their son and nephew?"

"Dudley stayed at Piers Polkiss's house last night. They had someone take him away this morning. I don't know where Harry is. I haven't seen him since he left with you."

"He has not returned?"

"Nope. There was another guy looking for him that day. He thought he knew who you were. He said he was going to help Harry. The Dursley's don't like Harry and treat him really bad." The boy tilted his head, "guess they can't do that anymore."

"Who was this other man?" Severus was worried that the other man might have connections to the Dark Lord.

"Brian?"

The boy turned and upon recognizing the approaching person, waved. "Hi, this is the guy I was talking about the other day." The boy pointed at Severus.

"Yes, I know. Hello, Professor Snape."

"Mister Weasley," Severus replied.

Bill turned and studied the house, "I was hoping the article Hermione brought me wasn't talking about Number 4 but I had a feeling it was." Bill sighed and focused on Severus, "What brings you here Professor?"

Severus glanced at the young boy then at Bill, "Albus heard there was a problem with security in the area so he sent me to look into it." He hoped the eldest Weasley child was intelligent to understand his meaning. "He was concerned for his student's safety. You wouldn't happen to know where Mister Potter is, would you?"

Bill nodded, "As a matter of fact I do. I just left him at the Alley. Tom assured me that he and his party would not be disturbed."

Severus opened his mouth to reply but the boy spoke first, "Hey, Mister, did you take Harry away from this place like you promised?"

Bill looked at the boy, "Sort of. It just turned out that way." Bill looked at Severus then back to the boy, "Look, Brian, the Professor and I have some things to discuss so we have to be going now. Thank you again for the help last time."

"You're welcome." The boy waved as he backed away from them. "Bye."

Bill and Severus started walking toward a secluded area. "So the Headmaster was monitoring the wards?"

"Yes, when we arrived at his office this morning all the instruments tied to the wards were inactive or destroyed. He sent me immediately to look into it."

Bill nodded, "I wonder what made them fall."

"I cannot say. I am unsure how the wards were cast." He looked to the young man, "did you sense the same traces of dark magic as I did?"

"Two different sources in two locations. Were any of them familiar to you?"

Severus shook his head. "At that distance they were too muddled. I plan on going into the house to see what was left behind. Care to join me?"

"You couldn't keep me away."

Severus and Bill disillusioned themselves and returned to number 4. They went around the back of the house in order to avoid moving the patchwork door out front and let themselves in through the door leading into the kitchen.

The Kitchen was untouched. Everything looked pristine and in its place. The two moved on. They moved down the hall, Bill turned to enter the living room, one of the locations the dark magic was centered, but Severus stopped next to a small door.

"Why would someone place locks on a broom cupboard?" Severus asked the younger man.

"They had Harry's things locked in there. I came to get some clothes for him and let the Dursleys know he wouldn't be home after the Goblin Healers informed me he would be asleep for at least 24 hours after they took care of some dark magic." Bill didn't know how much Severus knew so didn't go into details. "They told me to take all of his things and he wasn't welcome back."

Severus hummed, "When was this?"

"The last day we saw each other. Harry was unconscious for three days. I told him yesterday about what his aunt said and took him home with me."

Severus flicked the lock open and peered inside the cupboard under the stairs. He was about to close it, not being interested in cleaning supplies, when something odd caught his eye. He crouched down to get a closer look, why was there a child's mattress in a broom cupboard? He inched forward to get a closer look when he felt magic.

There was a great deal of faded magic lingering in the cupboard. Light magic, healing magic. He started to pull out when he spotted some broken toy soldiers sitting on part of the wood framing. Then he saw the sign proclaiming Harry's Room.

"Severus?"

"He slept in this cupboard and often. I can sense old, dissipating magic that speaks of a child's magic healing great pains. If the Dursleys were not already dead, I would hunt them down and kill them myself." He pulled out of the cupboard, the hand drawn sign clutched in his hand. It was vindicating that the younger man was shaking with rage as well.

"I would have held your cloak."

Both men steadied their breathing before walking into the living room.

The air was thick with Dark Magic and the smells of blood and urine. The room was a disaster.

None of the furniture survived and many surfaces were splattered with blood.

"I read the Cruciatus curse," Bill scanned the magic.

"I read the organ liquefying spell and one to expel the entrails."

"I think there were some cutting curses and bludgeoning curses too."

"Indeed."

"Is the signature familiar?"

"No, it is not one I am familiar with." He looked around the room, "The style seems to be inspired by Dolohov, not as controlled, but definitely inspired by him. As he is in Azkaban, he could not have done it nor could he have instructed someone new to extract information in this style. It is possible I have met the caster, but have either never been around him while he was casting or he was so insignificant that I did not deem it pertinent to note his signature."

"You think the person who did this was trying to get information?"

"Yes, the Bludgeoning and Cutting curses were cast first and were weaker. They got gradually worse. He would have cast the organ dissolving curse first followed by the entrails expelling curse. He would have watched as the male Dursley was overcome by the pain of his organs dissolving one by one, starting with the ones that are least essential. The entrails expelling curse would have been cast before he lost all his lungs to the dissolving curse. That would have killed him."

Bill felt ill. He shook himself and took a deep breath. "I'm going to take a complete scan and take it to the Goblins, perhaps they will be able to identify the caster."

A few minutes later Bill's scan was complete. "Alright, I'm ready to move on to the next concentration if you are."

Instead of answering, Severus headed for the stairs.

They did not look into the other rooms yet, they headed straight to the second source of Dark Magic.

This room felt very similar to the living room, save the fact that the magic was stronger. They could see a bloody outline of a slim figure that must have been pinned to the wall.

Severus approached the wall. "Smart. The caster used wooden stakes. He first used a sticking charm to hold her to the wall and then he started in with the torture. He knew that the authorities would be coming so he conjured wooden stakes and then magically hammered them through her body and into the wall."

"Bludgeoners and cutting curses again."

"He cast a bone withering curse as well. This one is smarter. He focused on the bludgeoning curses, cutting curses and the Cruciatus curse. There was a bone withering curse cast at some point, but he removed the limb he cast it on before it could spread to the rest of the body." He frowned, "had they not been interrupted, she would have been tortured for hours more."

Bill started scanning the room, recording everything for the Goblins.

"There is something oddly familiar to this magical signature."

"I've felt it before."

Severus turned to the man, "When? Where?"

"It feels like the same signature that cast Compulsion charms on three of my brothers. The question is, what connects this event with the Compulsions." He looked up from his scan results, "Does the style tell you anything?"

"No, this was very controlled and intelligently done. This could have been done by a dozen people in the Dark Lord's services."

They left that room a few moments later and searched the rest of the house to be safe. Both froze when they walked into Harry's room. Someone who believed in the Dark Lord's vision had threatened Harry Potter with a message written in blood.

**Leaky Cauldron**

Harry, Hermione and Sirius were swapping stories about their time at Hogwarts. The three were trying not to think about what had happened at Privet Drive. Each thought, though they did not share with the other two, that if it was in fact 4 Privet Drive, that there had to be a magical assailant. They all knew that no other could strike there. So, they got to know each other better.

Sirius was regaling them with a story from his seventh year. Apparently, James had asked Lily out to Hogsmeade and she had, finally, agreed. The other three Marauders just had to watch because they expected James to make a fool of himself.

"So, we followed them at a distance in disguises. The rat was wearing a moustache and glasses. I had changed my hair blond and was wearing bright orange Cannons fan wear. Remus just had on a black cloak and a Ravenclaw scarf, he said that I would draw too much attention dressed as I was. Pete and I said he wasn't disguised enough." Sirius grinned, "Anyway, James took Lily everywhere and because it was cold and November, he took her to lunch at the Copper Spell, a bit pricey but less crowded so I recommend it. Pete has this idea to transfigure his appearance into that of a girl, he wasn't great at transfiguration, so I did the spell work but I was laughing most of the time so he turned out looking more like a female troll than a girl. He and I walked into the restaurant like we were going on a date and got seated not far from your mum and dad. About halfway through our meal, we ordered to keep our cover, Lily walked up to the table and took a picture of us. She says, 'Now I can post this around Hogwarts so all the girls will know that Sirius Black, ladies' man, really prefers cross dressers.'' He took a sip of his tea, "James walked up and said, 'if you are trying to hide your identity you should really avoid bright colors and you should alter more than just your hair. Where is Remus anyway? I haven't seen him all day.' Pete and I just stared at them. Lily had pranked us and James had proven Remus's argument correct. It was a sad day for half the Marauders. James did say it was the most beautiful thing in the world watching Lily prank the masters of pranking."

"I thought you would have figured out by now, Black, that Lily helped in a number of pranks I played on you in retaliation. She was quite good at spotting your pranks by Yule of our second year. By the end of second she had successfully pranked you a dozen times."

Sirius's jaw dropped as Severus Snape finished his tale. Lily had helped Snape prank them? Then he thought about it, "She designed the one that changed our skin pink with purple polka-dots, wasn't she?"

"And the one that made you talk like characters from the Looney Tunes."

Sirius tilted his head, "Which one was that?"

"Potter kept saying 'What's up Doc?'"

Harry and Hermione burst out laughing, "Good one, Professor." Harry grinned at his potions professor.

"Thank you, Mister Potter."

Harry noticed Bill standing just behind the Professor, "So it was my aunt and uncle's house wasn't it?"

Bill nodded solemnly, "Yes it was, Harry."

"Whoever did it was magical right?"

"Indeed, Mister Potter."

"They were after Harry weren't they," Hermione's voice trembled slightly.

Severus and Bill exchanged a look. "I think he should know. He should be prepared."

Severus nodded, agreeing with the younger man. "Yes, they left a message on the wall of the smallest bedroom."

"That was my room."

"What did it say?" Sirius asked as calmly as he could.

"We will finish what he started, Harry Potter."

Harry felt a chill run down his spine. "Does that mean they follow Voldemort?"

"Yes, or at least his ideals."

"What do I do?"

"I think the first thing we need to discuss is where you are going to live. You can't keep staying at my flat, it isn't secure enough for you and it's too close to the main Alley."

"He could stay with me. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind."

"Unfortunately, that would not be wise either, Miss Granger. It is well known that you are close so when it is released that Mister Potter is moving people will expect him to go with you or the younger Weasleys."

"My parent's place isn't acceptable for a few reasons but that is a big one."

"The Goblins are gutting my family home," Sirius offered, "I was going to let you get to know me more before I asked but I would love it if you moved in with me. I am staying with Remus for now, because I need to get rid of all the dark craziness that my mother must have collected then I will be redecorating but once it is fixed up my family's home is one of the safest places in Britain."

Harry stared wide eyed at Sirius. "You want me to come live with you?"

"Of course I do, Harry. I have been thinking of nothing, but having you with me since I got out. I won't force you if you don't want to but if you do, know that there is nothing I want more."

Harry launched himself at Sirius. "I can really come and live with you and uncle Moony?"

Sirius smiled at him, "Of course, Harry."

"That would be awesome."

"Does anyone have any objections?"

"Sounds good to me," Bill shrugged. "I can see if I could help the team going through your house and I can check the stability of the wards for you."

"I have no objection. The Black family is known for their secrecy and security. It is nearly impossible to infiltrate a Black property without a member of House Black aiding you."

"Thank you, Sni-," Sirius stopped himself, "Severus." He looked down at his hands a moment, "If you have a moment, I would like to talk to you."

Severus raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Shall we step into the corner?"

Sirius stood and walked toward the far corner as an answer.

Severus erected some wards to prevent anyone else from hearing them.

"I would like to apologize, Severus." The man's eyes widened slightly. "For everything. I had a lot of time to think and review the horrible things I did in my life and I realized that sometimes we, no I, I took things too far where you were concerned."

"You were not entirely to blame. I do not think any of us were blameless."

"No, none of us were, but I was the instigator in many of those incidents and I didn't say anything to stop some of Peter's more vicious pranks."

"Pettigrew?"

"Yeah, most of our most malicious pranks were actually Peter's ideas. He had a vindictive streak a mile long combined with a massive inferiority complex, so he loved to see people stronger than he was in misery."

Severus took a deep breath, "I have been doing some thinking of my own recently. I swore to protect Harry and I think the best way to do that is for everyone to work together as peacefully as they can. It has been years since we were in school. Perhaps we could start over?"

Sirius took a deep breath. That was more than he could have hoped for. He hadn't expected Snape to listen to him, let alone ask to start over. Sirius knew he didn't deserve it. "I would be honored to start over." He held out his hand and Severus took it. "Remus wants to speak with you too. He told me he wanted to explain everything about the wolf. He assumes that you may have an adverse reaction to him because of what I did, but he hopes that sharing what it means to be a werewolf might help. Remus will be working at Hogwarts and wants, at the very least, a civil working relationship."

Severus nodded. "I will listen." He dropped the privacy wards.

"Oh," Hermione gasped, "I was supposed to meet the girls downstairs five minutes ago."

"I'll walk you down and explain why you're late," Harry offered.

Bill stepped forward seeing the concerned looks on the faces of the older men, "I'll walk down with you. Make sure the general public leaves you alone."

Harry smiled in thanks and then took Hermione's hand in his, leading her from the room.

"He managed to get the girl much faster than his father," Severus commented.

"Yeah, he did. I'm not really sure why though."

"Harry Potter lacks his father's arrogance and bravado. He appears to be a much quieter child. Of course, had you asked me a few months ago, I would have said he was exactly like his father." Sirius raised an eyebrow, "Mister Potter and I did not have the best introduction and have only just begun to see each other for who and what we are. I see now he did not grow up with a silver spoon like his father, like I expected, his childhood was closer to that of my own."

Sirius studied the other man, "I get the impression that you and I have more in common than either of us would care to admit to."

"Unfortunately, I believe you are correct. If Regulus's stories of life with your mother were correct then you and I had nearly the same childhood, save the fact that your mother used magic and my father was a muggle."

They were silent for a moment, lost in memories of their painful childhoods.

"I could use some Slytherin advice in terms of security."

"Write down what you have or plan to do and send it to me. I will review it and relay any holes I see and ideas on how to plug them."

"Thank you, Severus. I failed him when he needed me most all those years ago, I won't fail him again."

"Neither will I."


	11. Unforeseen

**Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts**

Albus Dumbledore was pacing. He had been pacing for nearly an hour now. He had managed to do some work after Severus left but after the second hour he could not focus.

Intellectually, he knew that it would take Severus time to figure out what happened at Privet Drive, but he was still worried. What if something had happened? Should he have checked the wards more often to make sure they were still in top shape? Did someone break them? Did Petunia and her son die tragically in a motor vehicle accident? Or did Harry say that Privet Drive wasn't his home? It could be any number of things.

Fawkes trilled from his perch and Albus felt a wave of peace fall over him. "Thank you, old friend. I think I needed that."

He sat back down and started working on the budget for the next school year. It looked like they were going to be able to replace the school brooms after all.

Albus sprang to his feet with remarkable speed for someone his age a moment later when he heard the staircase begin to move. Severus and Bill Weasley stepped into his office moments later.

"Harry?"

"Is safe, Headmaster," Bill answered quickly.

"The Dursley's, however, are not." Severus pulled up a chair and waited for the others to sit before he continued. "I believe someone, other than you, was monitoring the wards at Privet Drive and when they fell, they struck almost immediately. My scans indicate that the wards fell only yesterday. Two individuals broke into 4 Privet Drive last night, I assume, looking for Harry, but they did not find him. They found only Petunia and her fat husband." Severus watched Albus, there was something there but he wasn't sure what it was. "The wizards tortured and then killed the Dursleys. I do not know if they got any information. When they were finished with their executions, they left a message. 'We will finish what he started, Harry Potter,' was written in blood on the boy's bedroom wall."

"Indicating they follow Voldemort," Albus concluded. "Well, it is a good thing that Dudley Dursley lives. I can transfer the blood wards to wherever he ends up living. I will just have to talk to his guardian."

"No you won't, Albus."

Albus started at Severus's tone. "Why ever not? Harry is safest with his blood due to the protections Lily left that night."

Bill sat forward. "While it may be true that blood wards are incredibly powerful, Headmaster, they do require a certain level of affection between the protector and protected in order to work at full strength. I was completely unaware that there were blood wards around Privet Drive when I picked Harry up to take him to Gringotts. The wards were strong, but not blood wards strong."

"Pardon?"

"Headmaster," Bill continued, somewhat frustrated, "I am a Gringotts Curse Breaker and breaking down wards is my bread and butter. I know what a blood ward feels like when it is at full strength, they are still used in Egypt quite regularly. A blood ward will not work under certain circumstances. The first is distance of relation, which in this case wouldn't be a problem. The second is lack of time spent at the home, which may have been a problem in recent years due to Harry being at school and not returning for the Yule holiday. Finally, blood wards need family love or at least affection to actually do their job. There was no love in that home."

"Of course there was," Albus insisted, "Family loves blood. That just happens."

"Albus are you forgetting that my own father used to beat me regularly with a belt because of my magic? He did not love me and he was my father. My mother's family kicked her out when she married my father. That is not an act of love. Families are not required to love their blood." Severus glared at the man. "There is also the fact that they made Harry Potter, the Wizarding world's savior, sleep in a cupboard meant for cleaning supplies." Severus drew out the sign proclaiming 'Harry's Room,' and handed it to Albus. "That was taped to the wall of a tiny cupboard with a baby mattress on the floor. You are welcome to look at my memory of the event if you do not believe me. Or better yet, use Legilimency on me right now."

Albus's eyes widened. If Severus was offering him a trip into his mindscape, then he knew something was wrong with Harry's home life. "I will peruse your memory after this meeting. But I must insist on placing Harry with his cousin Dudley. Surely, there was no hate between the children. They had to have conspired against the adults together as boys are wont to do."

Bill shook his head. "A neighbor boy made a point to come and talk to me when I visited to take him to the Goblin Healers and he wasn't there. The boy said quite clearly that no Dursley liked Harry. He said Harry got in trouble for Dudley's misdeeds and Dudley would terrorize other children for even talking to Harry. Harry had no friends because of his cousin. There is no love between them." He wasn't sure what else to say, "When Harry heard the news he didn't know if it was okay that he felt nothing. The only thing he said was he felt sorry for his cousin because now he would be without parents. He didn't ask to visit his cousin the way I would if my cousins lost their parents."

"You know where Harry is?"

"Yes, Headmaster, I do. Harry stayed at my apartment last night after his aunt told me he wasn't welcome in their house. I fear I know the exact moment the wards fell, if they were in fact blood wards. Harry looked me in the eye after I apologized for getting him kicked out of his home, and told me that Privet Drive was never his home, only somewhere he was forced to sleep."

Severus and Bill watched Albus deflate. "Was his home life really so bad that he would say something like that?"

"Cupboard under the stairs, Albus."

"The Goblin Healers detected signs of severe malnutrition. They say someone has been countering it for about a year, but he may never get to where he was supposed to be due to the time frame he was denied proper nutrition for." Bill suspected that Harry's little friend Dobby had been dosing him with nutrient potions.

"If I had access to his scans, I may be able to devise a personalized nutrient potion for him," Severus told Bill offhandedly.

"I'll talk to Harry and Sirius about it."

"Sirius?" asked the headmaster.

"Yes, we decided that Mister Potter would be most secure in the protection provided by Black manor. It will be searched and cleansed by the Goblins shortly and then they can move in."

"Until that time, he will be with both Sirius and Remus. Two wands and a werewolf nose are great protection in my opinion. Plus, I am going to lay some more wards around Remus's current home so they should be fine for a few days."

"I will also be reviewing the protections, but doubt I can add to a Curse Breakers expertise."

"Perhaps I should…"

"Not a good idea, Headmaster. Sirius Black isn't happy with you. You were, and still are, the Chief Warlock and you didn't ensure he got a trial, he really doesn't want to talk to you until his anger has subsided."

Albus sighed. "What do you have to report from the crime scene?"

Bill produced two rolls of parchment. "These are the scans of the lingering magic from the attackers. It is obviously two people. Severus says the weaker signature is unfamiliar, but the style is similar to Dolohov. The stronger seems to be the same person as the individual who placed Compulsion charms on my brother."

"This one seems familiar to me, but I cannot place it."

"Thank you both. I will review this and your memories Severus. Please, ensure Harry is safe."

**12 Grimmauld Place**

Bill Weasley inspected the wards at 12 Grimmauld place while his colleagues searched the house top to bottom, removing numerous dark artifacts. Some of what had been removed would be set aside for Sirius to look over, those items could either be cleansed or disposed of. Other items, a disturbing number, would be immediately destroyed.

The wards were surprisingly strong. It would take a Gringotts Curse Breaking team several hours, if not a few days, to break through them. There were some holes that could be exploited, but they often lead to deadly traps; he was beginning to think that the holes in the wards were placed for the sole purpose of leading anyone attempting to break through them to a quick and painful death. The only things he could suggest were mail redirect wards, warding the Floo, and perhaps placing a Fidelius, there wasn't much that could make the building more secure.

Bill cringed as he found another trap. The Blacks were either seriously paranoid or just really liked destroying people not of their House. Who sets a trap in a ward that, when triggered, causes the person attempting to break through to cut off their own hands and tongue? He shivered; glad he had never met any of the people who placed the wards.

He was startled from his examination by shouts in the Goblin language. Bill knew little of the language; Goblins didn't spend a lot of time teaching their human staff their language. They only taught what was needed for rituals, employees were supposed to figure it out from there on their own time.

Bill jogged into the dining room to see the team leader standing at the china cabinet levitating a necklace in front of him. Master Gildore was almost growling at the piece of jewelry. "Get over here Weasley," he barked.

Bill rushed to his side wand at the ready.

"Scan the necklace and report your findings."

Bill nodded and did as ordered. All scans of particularly dark items were done at least twice to corroborate the initial scan. The necklace was silver with a large green stone. The stone had an ornate S carved in it and appeared to be the top portion of a locket.

Bill scanned the results of his scan, his eyes widened with each line. If he was correct, then this locket was a Horcrux.

"Your conclusions, Weasley," Master Gildore demanded.

"My scan indicates a level Seven dark artifact, classification Horcrux."

Gildore nodded, "That was my read as well. Do you have an idea as to the creator?"

Bill frowned, "I do not know the signature but due to recent findings I would lay odds that this is another one of Voldemort's Horcruxes." He searched the room with his eyes, "Will the owner be penalized? I only ask because I know the current owner would never follow or aid the man."

"Goblin gives Master Regulus's necklace back." An old, surly house elf demanded after popping into the room.

"Can't do that elf. This is a level seven dark artifact that I am required to cleanse of malicious magic."

"Master Regulus told Kreacher to destroy bad locket, so Kreacher must destroy it."

Bill crouched down to look the Elf in the eye. "The Goblins will destroy the evil your Master Regulus wanted to destroy."

"Goblins will make bad magic go away?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yes, you have my word."

"Kreacher does not trust words of wizard who is not part of the Noble House of Black."

Bill nodded, "Kreacher, I am Bill Weasley and my Grandmother was born Cedrella Black, she may have been blasted from the family tree, but she taught all Weasley children to honor our word, as all Blacks are taught."

"Cedrella married blood traitor."

Bill looked to the Goblin. Most wizards did not listen to House Elves. Goblins knew they held great power and would use that in service of their masters, causing harm if they felt it necessary. "What if Curse Breaker Weasley were to bring the locket back when it is cleansed of the taint of dark magic?"

The Elf eyed the Goblin and wizard with distrust. "Kreacher will give Goblins four days then he will takes it back if they has not brought it back to Kreacher cleaned."

The Goblin nodded; they would have it cleansed by the next day so four days was easily achieved. "I agree to your terms, Elf Kreacher."

**Grimmauld Place, July 29th**

Harry Potter was Happy. He felt at home for the first time outside of Hogwarts. Everything seemed to be going his way lately and he felt he had the twins to thank for that. If it had not been for them asking for his help to save Ginny, then he would never have found Pettigrew on the map. It all spiraled out from that. The twins had saved him.

The soon to be thirteen-year-old knew that the twins had talked to the older students. He knew that Percy had taken an interest because of their concern. He knew they had pulled Oliver's head out of quidditch so he could actually see. They had let the girls loose. Harry Potter loved his 'brothers.'

Now Harry had so much family he honestly didn't know what to do with it all. Bill had all but adopted him too and he was only here because of the twins and Percy. Remus would have been his teacher no matter how things turned out, but because of all that had happened, he was an honorary uncle. The same could not be said for Sirius. Had it not been for him finding Pettigrew on the map, he would not have Sirius. He wouldn't have a home.

Harry looked around his new room. It was great. Narcissa had completely redecorated the house. She had done so on her husband's dime apparently; he had no idea how she managed that though. Everything was in soft, inviting tones. Warm woods with nice accent colors. There was little black, and even less gray, which were apparently abundant before Sirius had taken control. There was still green in some rooms but others were accented in red. Harry particularly liked the room with the rust orange accents. It reminded him of a sunset.

Harry's room was done in blues and golden wood tones. The walls were a pale tan that just felt warm. All his furniture was the same shade of wood that almost seemed golden. His bed coverings were in various shades of blue. He absolutely loved it. Green may be his favorite color, but to him blue was much more relaxing.

He looked at the pictures spread across his bed. Hermione was the best friend and girlfriend a guy could ask for.

They had all gone to Thorpe Park a few days ago. It had been discussed and decided that weekends were busiest and therefore his actual birthday, that Saturday, would not be the best time to go. Hermione's parents were going to be the only muggle parents around so they asked if the day could be Monday, it was the easiest day for them to move their patients around on.

On July 26th they all headed to Thorpe Park. They had all met up at the Leaky Cauldron and taken the Knight Bus. Upon their arrival they had headed to the area they had rented for the day for their party, it was in the Jungle section. They had tables and everything. One of the adults would be there at all times to watch their stuff, Remus, Grace and Patrick worked out a rotation.

Hermione had handed everyone disposable cameras, instructing them to take pictures of everyone as the day progressed. To start the day, she had called for a group photo. They ended up doing a few posed shots with her father's good camera. He couldn't decide which his favorite was; the one of him and Hermione was great, as was the one of Sirius with an arm wrapped around his shoulders. Perhaps his favorite was the large group shot of all magic users at the park or the one of Hermione, Sirius, Remus and himself.

They had spread out from there. He and Hermione had spent most of the day hand in hand, though she refused to go on some rides claiming they went too high or too fast. Harry loved every one of them. Bill was often with them so would go on the ride with him. Neville was like Hermione and preferred the more sedate rides. Harry and Bill claimed that 'Stealth' was the best while Hermione liked the one that was supposed to be a magic carpet, it went fairly high but wasn't nearly as fast. Sirius and Remus liked the fast ones too; Harry had figured Remus would prefer the sedate rides, but he was so wrong. Remus liked the craziest ones the most.

They had all met up for lunch, served inconspicuously by Dobby. It was brilliant. He made fantastic fish and chips.

After lunch they did presents. Harry had only received birthday gifts once before, the previous year, but this was better. He got to thank his friends and actually have them around without fearing their destruction.

The Gryffindor chasers had gotten him a complete set of seeker's armor, he was amazed. That stuff was expensive. Oliver had gotten him new dragon hide seeker's gloves. Fred and George had gotten him a selection of his favorite candies, both muggle and magical, as well as some special fireworks that could only be displayed in the magical world; he was going to save them for a special occasion.

Lavender and Parvati got him some clothes, all wizarding. Fay had gotten him a book on seeker drills. Dean and Seamus gave him a professional quidditch jersey each. Dean, claiming he should be a Puddlemere United fan. Seamus was all about the Ballycastle Bats.

Neville had given him a plant from his personal greenhouse. The plant, when kept near the bed, aided in producing pleasant dreams. He had blushed slightly when Neville explained that, apparently the boy had heard his nightmares over the years. Bill had presented him with a dragon-hide wand holster. Percy had given him books on Runes and Arithmancy. Remus and Sirius were giving him his present later, on his actual birthday.

Hermione's gift was his favorite. When he had opened it, he had seen a book but when he opened the pages, they were blank, all but one that is. On the first page was a picture, taken by Colin the previous year, of Hermione and the Quidditch team hugging him in the common room. She explained that she was making him memories. They would take his favorite pictures from the day and every day after and fill the book with pictures and stories. Harry loved it.

And then there was cake. Dobby made a fantastic chocolate cake!

After the food and presents, most of the group headed to the water park section. They had a blast. Slides and tube rides. Water fights and swimming.

The only sour point of the day was when he ran into Dudley and Marge Dursley.

_"Well, what do we have here," Dudley had sneered. Piers Polkiss just grinned while standing just to the left of Dudley._

_"Dudley," Harry had gasped. "How are you? I am so sorry about your parents. We may not have gotten along, but nobody deserved that."_

_"What do you care, Freak, you didn't like them."_

_"I can't say they were my favorite people, Dudley, but I do know what it's like to lose your parents."_

_"Well, well, if it isn't the little criminal." Marge Dursley sauntered up, her considerable weight straining the seams of her clothes. "I told the police you were responsible, what with you attending St. Brutus's, pretended they didn't know what school I was talking about, but they knew. I expect they will be arresting you soon."_

_"Is there a problem, ma'am?" Bill had walked up just then._

_Marge sneered at him, "only telling the trash where it belongs, which is behind bars. He murdered my brother."_

_Bill frowned. "I don't think that is possible Ms. Dursley. The night they were murdered he was at my apartment. Your brother and sister-in-law kicked a twelve-year-old out of their house."_

_"As they well should have, what with him being a criminal. He attends St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal boys."_

_Bill snorted, "No he doesn't. He attends the Hoag, a private school for gifted students in northern Scotland. I went there myself."_

_"He does not, he is just like his parents. They were drunken losers."_

_"Did you just claim that Lily and James Potter, that is Lord and Lady Potter, were drunk losers?" Sirius was fuming._

_"He wasn't no lord, whoever you are."_

_"Lord Black," Sirius said, indicating himself. "And James Potter was named the Potter of Potter when his father passed away just after Harry was born."_

_Marge was turning purple with rage. "He was a drunk who died in a car crash. She was a worthless whore. That boy murdered my brother." She was shouting at the end._

_A park employee ran up at that moment. "Ma'am I need to ask you to stop yelling. You are scaring the younger children and disturbing Lord Black's party. If you do not stop this outrageous behavior, you will be asked to leave."_

_Marge looked like she was going to hit the man, but turned and stomped off. Dudley and Piers turned to follow._

_"I really am sorry, Dudley. I never wanted them to get hurt, I just didn't want to live there anymore."_

_Dudley studied him for a moment then nodded before walking away._

Harry hoped he had gotten through to his cousin.

He picked up a picture of him with the twins, Fred on his left, George on his right. He wasn't sure how he knew which was which but he could always tell them apart. They were staying at Bill's right now. They had gotten in a fight with their mother about him. Percy had managed to stay out of it by claiming he was going out with Oliver but the twins had boldly claimed to be Harry's friend.

Apparently, Molly now blamed him for Ron and Ginny's health problems. Harry thought she needed a mind healer too.

The twins said their father was furious with their mother, she was insistent that Ginny would one day be Mrs. Potter despite the fact that Harry was currently persona non grata at the burrow. Maybe Molly had multiple personality disorder or something, Harry mused. She was all over the map.

On the bright side, Ron was still improving. His mind healers had told him to write a letter to Harry. The letter had been surprising. Ron had told him that he wasn't to blame for anything, but he didn't think they could ever be the friends they were before. He accounted his change in attitude toward their friendship to scarring on his memory. Harry had written a reply. He knew the mind healer would read it first, saying that he was glad Ron was getting better and saying that he understood. He had suggested they start over just like the rest of their class had. He hoped he had done the right thing.

Ginny was seeing mind healers daily now. A muggle born mind healer had suggested that Ginny had been brainwashed. Saying that Molly's constant stories and suggestions about Ginny marrying Harry had fixed her mind on that one image and now that is all she saw for her future. The mind healer suggested the healer's version of Legilimency to route through her feelings for Harry and determine what was real and what was imagined. Arthur was going to approve it on the next visit. Harry hoped it worked.

"Harry," he heard a female voice call up the stairs. He hoped off his bed and headed for the stairs. At the bottom stood Narcissa. Today, they would be having a family meeting. Narcissa said Draco would be there as well as her sister Andromeda and her family. They hoped that Cedrella Weasley showed up but she may just stay where she was, she had lost her husband three years before and had not ventured out much since. They had also invited Marius Black, a squib uncle, who would be bringing his son Jason, who did have magic. "Everyone should be here soon, grab your formal cloak and come on down."

Harry smiled at her and did as instructed. He liked Narcissa. She was kind of cold and imposing, but he knew she had a very loving heart. She was teaching him all about the etiquette of the wizarding world as well as traditions of the most prominent families. He realized he had made a lot of mistakes in the past; he hoped he could fix some of them.

He reached the main floor and Narcissa tried to flatten his hair, tisking when it didn't do what she wanted.

"Forget it, Cissy." Sirius said coming down the stairs. "Lily could never get James's to lay flat either."

"I will find a way, Siri"

"If anyone can it is you, little sister." Harry turned to see another woman, who he assumed was Andromeda Tonks. She had a nice smile. "You were always good at finding out how to fix appearances."

"Andromeda," Narcissa breathed before rushing over to her sister. They hugged tightly, both seemed to be either crying or laughing softly. "I have missed you, sister."

"As I have missed you, baby sister."

"Oh, gag me. Quit with the sappy reunion, mom." A pink haired girl in Auror robes said making a face. "Hey, I'm Tonks, you do not need to know my first name. It is to remain secret."

"Narcissa," Andromeda said to her sister, "This heathen is my daughter, Nymphadora."

"Mom," Tonks moaned childishly.

"Hush, Dora," her mother admonished.

"Mother," the group turned to see Draco standing there watching them all.

Harry stepped forward. He bowed his head slightly. "I would like to apologize, Mister Malfoy, for unintentionally slighting you when we officially met. My only defense for not taking your hand, was that I was raised by muggles and did not know what social faux pas I was making. No one had thought it necessary to teach me about my place in society. So, I am sorry. I hope we can start over."

Draco looked at the outstretched hand briefly. He almost sighed, his mother was right again. When he had written home about his outrage for being slighted his father had said Potter did it on purpose so he should retaliate, his mother had said it was most likely unintentional and partially due to his own rudeness. Why were mothers always right? He took Harry's hand. "Neither of us were blameless. I was rude to address you as I did. I would like to apologize for the trouble I have caused you since you refused my hand. I would like to start over. Cousins."

Harry grinned. "Cousins."

Sirius sniffed loudly and pretended to whip a tear from under his eye. "Isn't that just sweet, Cissy? Potters and Malfoys can stand in the same room without trying to kill each other."

Narcissa rolled her eyes at her cousin. "We should get this meeting started." She walked away expecting everyone else to follow.

Harry learned many things at the family meeting, probably the most amusing being that one led by Sirius seemed to lead to him cracking jokes and making faces at people.

Narcissa was all poise and proper behavior while Andromeda seemed to be attempting to keep herself from laughing most of the time. Andromeda's husband, Ted, seemed out of his depth just like Harry. Draco tried to look confident and knowledgeable, but he failed. Tonks didn't care what anyone thought and seemed to enjoy egging Sirius on. Marius Black seemed thoroughly amused by the whole thing and his son Jason confused.

It was announced at the meeting that a number of things would be changing in the House of Black in the near future. First, everyone at the table who had been expelled from the family was to be brought back into the family. Second, Bellatrix and her husband were out. Thirdly, Narcissa's marriage to Lucius Malfoy was going to be declared void, due to breach of contract on Lucius's part. He would inform Lucius after school began to save Draco from the drama. Next, Sirius was adopting Harry. The paperwork had been filed the day before and he was approved almost immediately. They did require some home visits, but that was routine so no one minded. Lastly, Sirius was going to throw himself into the political arena with Narcissa as his advisor, she really did have a head for politics. They were going to try to change the wizarding world, or at least make it difficult for the biased laws to get passed from now on.

The house of Black was going to become something great.

Sirius had taken Draco aside after the meeting. He had told Harry he was going to give Draco the choice of being a Malfoy or a Black. He had time to make his decision but Sirius thought he should have the option even if he never needed it.

Just before everyone left Serious, pulled his cousins into the family drawing room. He explained about his brother Regulus. The Goblins had found something very dark, which had belonged to the Dark Lord hidden in the house. Regulus had stolen it to destroy it, but had died in the process. Sirius explained that his brother was a hero and would be celebrated for his decision to follow his heart and leave Voldie's service. Narcissa and Andromeda had cried, both overjoyed that their sweet younger cousin had eventually seen what they had, but saddened by the fact that he had perished in his defiance.

**Somewhere in the UK**

The sound of a howl tore through the night. Most would think it was simply a wolf howling at the moon, a wizard would hope it was simply a wolf. Those of magic would fear it was something much more dangerous howling at the moon, for tonight was the night of the full moon.

This was a small town; some might even call it a village it was so small. The population was mostly muggle, in fact all but one family had no knowledge of the magical world. One home on the edge of town belonged to a wizarding couple. They were older, they had left school long before, their children had as well. Both were muggle born so could blend in well with those who did not know about magic. Their children had all chosen their own paths, most staying almost exclusively in the magical world. Their youngest son had married a witch that was essentially a Pure-blood, she knew nothing of the muggle world, so his only child, a daughter that would be going into her third year of Hogwarts, knew only the wonders of a magical life. They were determined to teach her the joys of the non-magical world.

They had her stay with them for at least a week every summer.

She woke with a start. Something smashed through her window shattering the glass.

Something large leaped through the now open window. Her heart nearly stopped. At the foot of her bed stood what could only be a werewolf. She could see the full moon lighting her room. It stalked toward her slowly, she didn't know they could move so slowly around things they considered prey. She reached for the bedside table, her hand landing on and gripping a picture frame, the first thing she came in contact with. She held it in front of her like a weapon, knowing it would not save her. The beast seemed to study the photo and she could have sworn it grinned.

It lunged, landing on the end of the bed. The thirteen-year old tried to scramble back, but ran into her headboard with nowhere else to go. She screamed as its jaws latched onto her calf, stabbing through the blankets and sinking deep. She screamed in pain as she felt teeth sink into her flesh. She knew she was going to die.

The werewolf let go and howled. Her hands flew to her ears trying to block out the sound, the picture frame bouncing off her bed as she let go.

Her door flew open and there stood her grandparents, her grandfather in front, wand at the ready. "BOMBARDA," he shouted, his spell flying through the air, connecting with the beast's side, sending it flying off the bed. They rushed into the room; the older woman ran to her granddaughter while the man stood to guard them.

The wolf stood from the spot it had fallen to after the spell hit. His side ached a bit, but he would heal. He lunged at the man with unimaginable speed and sank his jaws into the man's throat.

"Matthew," the older woman cried out, nearly sobbing. Her eyes met those of the werewolf as her husband fell, lifeless to the floor. She spun on her heel and Apparated out of the room with her granddaughter tight in her arms.

The werewolf looked at the picture that had fallen on the bed when the girl tried to cover her ears. A wolfish smile spread across his blood-soaked face. It was pure luck he had found the girl. He had sensed the magic within the house but never expected to find someone connected to his prey. It was because of this that he bit instead of killed.

Fenrir Greyback howled again, joyously. On the next full moon, a new Werewolf would begin their journey to see if they were worthy of belonging to his pack. It would be interesting to watch. He only hoped his prey got the message. He left the picture where it lay, showing the brilliantly smiling faces of Harry Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, the girl and a large group of happy wizarding children.

He raced back into the night; he had some mayhem to cause.

**Elsewhere…**

They landed in a heap on the floor. Both grandmother and granddaughter were crying openly. "Grandpa…" the girl managed to say through her pain and sorrow.

"I know, baby." She knew she had to be strong for her youngest grandchild. "He would be glad we are safe. Move your hands, Fay, I need to see the bite."

"I'm going to… I don't want to be…"

"I know. Let me look sweetheart." Fay moved her hands and her grandmother healed the bit, it looked like no more than an old scar now.

"Mother, what is going on?"

The old, tired woman turned to see her son, Fay's father, and his wife standing in the hall leading into the family room, where they had landed. "Robert," she tried to keep her voice under control. "There was an attack in the village. A werewolf broke into the house before we even realized what was going on. Matthew," she sobbed his name, "your father didn't make it. The beast had Fay. We managed to save her, but she was bitten," she gestured toward the scar. "I couldn't take her to St. Mungo's; they would register her and then her life in this country would be over."

Robert looked on with a stony face. He heard his wife sniff in disgust behind him. "I will not have a beast living under my roof."

"Robert."

"Daddy," Fay sobbed miserably.

He held up a hand. "We have a very traditional house, as you well know, girl," he snarled at his daughter. "You can stay the night, but you need to be gone in the morning. We will allow you to keep the things we bought you but from this point on you are on your own." He whirled and walked back toward his bedroom.

"It is unfortunate that you allowed yourself to be bitten. It seems I should have consented when Robert asked for another child."

"Madeline, she is your daughter."

"And you know how my family views wild beasts." She too left leaving grandmother and granddaughter broken on the family room floor.

"What am I going to do, Grandma?" Fay's voice was broken.

"We'll work it out, baby girl."

"But how," she was almost hysterical, "You're sick. The doctors only let you stay out of St. Mungo's because of Grandpa due to your unstable magic."

This was true. She had a very rare disease that affected the magical core. As time went on, her core got more and more unstable, being around a still maturing core was very dangerous. This weekend visit from Fay was supposed to have been the last time she spent any real time with her youngest grandchild. She was scheduled for a healer visit in a few days, she and Matthew feared that the healers would insist upon permanent hospitalization. She was surprised she had managed to Apparate and heal Fay.

"What about your friends? Is there anyone who you could turn to? I would help in any way I could financially."

"I don't know. I couldn't go to Lavender or Parvati; it would end up all over the school. Seamus is just as bad at keeping secrets and Dean wouldn't know what to do. Neville would help, he's a good guy but I don't know how his grandmother would react. Harry and Hermione would help but Harry's living situation just got figured out and I don't want to intrude."

"So, it sounds like Hermione is your choice."

"Well, yeah, I guess. She is muggle born, but is so smart she would probably be more capable of handling this than any Pure-blood."

"Alright, that is settled. Tomorrow we will visit your friend Hermione. For now, let's get to bed." She pulled Fay to her feet and together they walked toward the bedrooms. "I will do everything I can to make this work for you. Your parents won't say anything about you turning because it will embarrass them so all we have to do is get you settled into school."

Fay hugged her grandmother and walked into her room limping only slightly. She was worried. What if she couldn't go to school anymore? What if Hermione didn't know what to do? What if the werewolf came looking for her?

Fay Dunbar was scared.

**Granger Residence**

Hermione Granger was happy. They had been to Thorpe Park about a week ago. They had decided to not go on Harry's actual birthday due to the fact that it was on a Saturday that year. A summer Saturday was the absolute worst day for lines at amusement parks. They decided to go on the Monday before. It was amazing. Harry had loved it; the only downside had been meeting his cousin Dudley and Marge Dursley. Both had been rude and utterly horrible to Harry.

She shook her head, that was over and he never had to see them again. She skipped into the kitchen to see her parents both sitting at the table. Her mother with her usual bowl of fruit, her father with a bowl of porridge. "Good morning, Mother, Father. How are you today?"

"You seem happy, Hermione," her mother smiled slightly. "Is your newfound happiness connected to the new boyfriend?"

Hermione blushed. She had told her parents about her and Harry starting to date just before their trip to Thorpe Park. They had asked to meet Harry before passing judgement. Her mother said he was a polite boy and her father said he was respectful. From her parents, that was essentially saying they liked him. "I'm just happy. I have so many great friends and you both say you like them. Is it wrong to be happy with the way my life is going now?"

"No, my sweet," her father lowered his newspaper, "We are glad that you finally have someone your own age you can connect with. We just wish we understood your new life better."

"I understand that, Daddy. I try to explain but it's so hard to get it right. Most everything I see surprises me still and I have been at school for two years already. Magic is just so," she struggled to find the word, "well, magical." She shrugged.

Her mother raised an eyebrow. Her daughter was different and not in a bad way. Sometimes they were a little unfair with their exacting standards, both she and Patrick were perfectionists and it was hard to not ask for perfection in their only child. Hermione had found her own version of perfect, it was just one they didn't understand. They did approve of her current career goal, she wanted to be a doctor, no the word for wizards was healer. It was almost like a dentist, perhaps even better.

"What are your plans today?"

Hermione hummed, as she served herself breakfast, she was going with porridge today. "Well, I don't actually have plans for today. I thought I might get some sun. I know it is your late morning, so I thought we could just spend some time together talking."

Her parents exchanged a look, they didn't just talk anymore. "We would like that, dear," her father said, folding his paper.

"Anything interesting in there, Dad?"

"Not really, just a wild animal attack in south Wales. Apparently some large vicious wolf killed some people during that storm last night. Lots of claw marks on buildings and some dead livestock. The reporter made some snide remark about werewolves as it was the full moon."

Hermione's eyes widened. It was possible, technically. "How odd, hopefully they find whatever did it."

Her mother looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What," she asked, squirming slightly.

"Werewolves are real, aren't they?"

"Well, yes," she said shrugging. "It is a lot like legend says. Someone is bitten and once a month they become a werewolf. In most cases the wolf mind has complete control and the person has no knowledge of what they do when transformed. The British ministry judges werewolves really harshly. They can't get jobs in the magical world if they are registered. It isn't fair really because the rest of the time they are just normal people. They are a bit weak the day after a transformation and they can be irritable the day before, but other than that they are normal. There is even a potion that allows the person to keep their mind during the transformation so that they don't become mindless."

"And who do you know that is a werewolf?" Her father looked her in the eye, "you wouldn't defend werewolves to us like that if you didn't know one."

She looked at her hands, "Do you think that they are mindless beasts that all belong in cages?"

"No, sweet heart, not if what you say is true. If it was that fat kid that tried to push Harry off the slide maybe, but we like the rest of the people we met at Thorpe Park."

Hermione smiled, yeah she thought Dudley should be caged too sometimes. "Mister Lupin."

"That gentleman is a werewolf?" Her mother sounded shocked.

"Yes, he told Harry and I when I went to visit him at Sirius's house. It was just before the full moon in July. Harry told me that he took a potion, locked himself in his room and laid on the rug." She saw shock and perhaps pity, not revulsion. That was a good sign. "He told us he was bitten when he was four-years-old. He had no choice."

"No child should be condemned for being bitten." Her father said firmly.

Her mother nodded, "Remus was a caring, protective man, I cannot see him as a monster after spending time with him while he wrote out his lesson plans."

Hermione smiled brilliantly at her parents. "Thank you, that means so much to me, so much to Harry."

Her mother opened her mouth to continue, but stopped with the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Hermione popped out of her chair, rushing toward the door.

Hermione opened the door smiling only for her face to fall at seeing Fay and an older woman standing on the stoop, looking grave.

"Fay, is everything okay?"

Fay shook her head and sniffed, "Can I come in, Hermione? I need help and I didn't know where else to go."

Hermione opened her arms and Fay rushed into them. "Hi," she smiled at the older woman, "You're her grandmother, Lydia, right?" The older woman nodded, "Please come in."

She led them into the living room and got them situated. "Give me just a moment. I'll go make some tea. Have you eaten? Do you need anything?"

"We ate, dear, but tea would be lovely."

Hermione nodded and rushed from the room. "Mother, Father, Fay and her Grandmother are here. Fay said she needed help and didn't know where else to go. What do I do?"

They shared a look, "You listen, Hermione and when she has told her story you do what you think is best," her father said in a firm, yet reassuring voice.

"Do you want us to be with you?"

Hermione bit her lip. "If it's okay with Fay, I would really appreciate your input."

"I'll make the tea; you go make sure our presence is alright." Her mother pushed her back toward the living room.

Hermione peaked her head in, "Fay?" the girl looked up, "Would it be alright if my parents joined us?"

Fay nodded, "That would probably be best."

Hermione smiled, "Tea will be ready shortly."

A few minutes later the group of five was situated around the living room. Lydia was sitting in an armchair, Grace and Patrick Granger were on the love seat. Hermione and Fay were sitting on the couch.

"What's wrong, Fay?"

"I don't want you to hate me."

"I couldn't hate you, Fay, you are my friend."

"It will be alright, sweetheart. You said you trusted the girl, so just tell her."

Fay looked at her grandmother, then at Hermione. She reached down and rolled up the leg of her jeans, to reveal the bite mark on her leg. One that hadn't been there when they were at Thorpe Park.

Hermione's eyes widened. She knew about magical healing; she had recently decided she might like to be one. Magic could heal most things without scars. The only scars they couldn't heal completely were ones from injuries caused by malicious magic or deadly creatures. With a bite pattern like that there was really only one option. Fay had been bitten by a werewolf. "You were bitten last night," Hermione breathed in shock. "Oh, Fay," she launched herself at her friend, hugging her close. "Are you okay? Of course you're not okay. Do you have any other injuries? What can I do? What about school? I will cover for you. What about your parents? Where are they? Do you need a place to stay? Do you know who it was?"

"Hermione," her mother called somewhat sharply. "Breathe. Let the girl tell her story. That should answer some of your questions."

Hermione blushed. "Sorry."

Fay almost giggled, that reaction had been a very Hermione reaction. "I was at my grandparent's house in Wales last night. The werewolf broke in through my window. I thought I was going to die, but instead of going for a kill shot he bit my leg. Then Grandma and Grandpa were there. Grandpa hit him with a blasting curse and it threw him off the bed. Grandpa stood between me and the werewolf while Grandma checked on me. I think he got distracted checking on me, because the werewolf was suddenly on him," she sobbed, "He killed Grandpa Matt."

Hermione tightened her arms around the other girl.

"Grandma Apparated us to my parent's home and healed the bite. She swore that no one would tell the ministry. My parents came in and when they heard the story they said I was no longer welcome in the family." The last she said at barely a whisper. "I don't know what to do. Grandma is sick and could have killed us both using her magic last night. Her magic is unstable and being around me isn't good for either of us. The only things I have are my clothes and school supplies."

"We will figure this out." Hermione looked everyone in the eye. "I need everyone to swear they will never tell anyone anything they learn here today." She had a plan.

Lydia Dunbar nodded, as did her parents. Fay just looked at her with longing. Fay would never tell this secret for it was her secret too.

"I will be back soon. I need to go talk to someone." She looked at her parents pleadingly.

"I'll go cancel my appointments for the day," her father said standing. "You mother has a surgery she can't reschedule, but I can rearrange some things to stay with them while you do what you need to do."

"Sorry, Hermione, if I didn't have that surgery set for today, I would stay and help but I should head in to prep and see if I can help rearrange the schedule for your father's patients."

Hermione nodded. "Please make yourselves at home. If you would like, you are welcome to use my shower, Fay."

Hermione rushed up the stairs grabbing her shoes, her purse and her wand. "I'll be back as soon as I can," she said as she all but flew out the door.

Hermione returned about 45 minutes later after a loud popping sound behind the house. She came rushing in from the kitchen, after coming through the back door. "Daddy, could you make some coffee. Really strong black coffee."

He raised an eyebrow but nodded. "I can do that. Is Mister Black coming back?"

“He just went to grab Harry and Remus; he can only side-along Apparate one of us at a time. It shouldn’t take long. Remus is a little out of it this morning. He said if there isn’t coffee, he is going to give me a T on my first assignment of the year.”

She smiled at the Dunbars, "It will be just a moment. There are a few people coming." There was a pop a moment later indicating someone else showing up.

Harry walked into the room a minute later. He walked straight to Fay and hugged her. He didn't say a word.

A third and final pop sounded. Remus Lupin and Sirius black strode into the room, Remus looking dead on his feet, taking a big gulp of coffee as he slumped into a chair.

"Hello, Little Fay," Sirius said with a small smile. He, more than anyone, understood what her friends and family would be going though. He had Remus after all. He just hoped that they could make this easier on the girl.

"Hi, Mister Black. Sirius," she amended when he gave her a look.

Remus downed the last of the large mug of coffee and sat up slowly, smelling the air. He almost snarled at the lingering smell of werewolf wafting from the girl. He stood and walked carefully toward the small girl. His aching bones protested as he crouched in front of her. He met her gaze with his, he could already see the chocolate color of her eyes lightening. They would be gold in no more than a week. Fay’s eyes would now shift from brown to gold depending on the cycles of the moon. She would have gold eyes on the night of the full moon and the day before and after. 

He took her slim hands in his. "You will not suffer from this if I can help it, Fay." She continued to look him in the eye, not sure what she was feeling. "I am going to tell you my story. I hope it helps you."

And so, Remus Lupin told his story to the others in the room. He left nothing out. He told her how old he was when he was bitten. The trials of attempting school while hiding his 'furry little problem.' The joys of running free. He explained what the Wolfsbane Potion did and about the pain. Lastly, he told her what it felt like to find your pack, your family. He saw Fay sag in what he hoped was relief in knowing that she was not alone.

"I have been dealing with this for nearly thirty years, Fay. I can help you if you let me. I will protect you from the one who turned you whether you like it or not. He and I have a score to settle." At her questioning look he pulled up his sleeve to reveal a bit mark around his elbow, "the werewolf who bit you was the same one who bit me. Fenrir Greyback is on borrowed time as far as I am concerned."

"How will you keep him from me?" her voice shook.

Remus smiled tiredly. "Greyback is a powerful werewolf, I won't deny that but he isn't the only Alpha out there. I can and will protect you from him because my wolf is an Alpha too. Greyback has no hold over me, I can already feel the wolf inside me making his claim. He wants you to join my pack."

She tilted her head maybe that is what she was feeling. The comfort of an Alpha. "You have a pack?"

He laughed softly, "Not a traditional pack. My pack is in this room, well most of it. Sirius is my beta. Harry is my cub. Hermione is pack, because the wolf feels her devotion to our cub. The only ones missing are the ones who don't know they are pack. My wolf loves the older Weasley children. He wants to adopt the twins and Bill."

Remus squeezed her hands lightly. "Will you let me help you?"

Fay smiled and flew at Remus. "Welcome home, cub." He hugged the girl close, all of him at peace.


	12. The First

**Wales**

"Report," Amelia Bones called as she surveyed the damage in the tidy cottage in the muggle village in Wales. Had she not known any better, she would have assumed this house was owned by muggles too. She would have applauded the owners for their ability to blend under other circumstances.

"The werewolf came through the window of what appears to be the guest room. There is evidence that the couple were sleeping in the master and came to check out the noise." Kingsley Shacklebolt related to his boss. "Body positioning suggests that he couldn't see the werewolf when he stepped into the room, otherwise he would not have gone that far from the door."

Amelia heard something in his voice, suggesting he didn't agree with the proposed sequence of events. "It's possible, and supported by what we have here." She met his eyes, "What do you think is missing, Shack?"

"I think there was someone staying in the room. There is no reason for Matthew Dunbar to have gone that far into the room. It's doubtful that the werewolf could have compressed himself enough to hide behind the bed, especially if he was smelling prey." Shacklebolt surveyed the room as she did. "It would make more sense if there was someone staying in the room. The werewolf might be at the foot of the bed or on it, they come in, he fires off a spell and they get the guest out, but in the process, he gets caught."

"That's what I saw too, but the question is, why did Lydia Dunbar hide the house guest?"

"Because the house guest was bitten."

"And she doesn't want them registered."

"What should I report ma'am? Do I report what the evidence shows or do I report my suspicions of the woman tampering with the scene?"

"Who would they risk their lives for?"

"Ma'am?"

"If you were to do something like this, risk getting bitten or killed, who would you do it for?"

Shacklebolt nodded, considering her question. "Family. Someone they loved. I would guess a child or grandchild."

Amelia nodded. "We have no evidence that there was someone else in the house." She sighed. "With the laws the way they are, I understand why they might have done it. If they can succeed in hiding this from that department, I won't say anything."

"Even if they're a student?"

"Every other time of the month a werewolf is just a person with above average sight and a heightened sense of smell."

Shacklebolt nodded, "I'll finish up in here and confer with the others. You should have our report by the end of the day, barring any emergencies."

She nodded and watched him leave the room.

It seemed dark times were approaching.

She thought back to the meeting Headmaster Dumbledore had asked to have with her. The murders of the occupants of 4 Privet Drive had chilled her. She hadn't seen carnage like that since the last war.

Albus had presented her with the scans and Severus Snape's interpretation of the chain of events. She had to agree with his assessment, the one attacker did seem to style themselves after Dolohov, which was unfortunate, because he was one of the cruelest death eaters they had come across. The other seemed familiar but she couldn't put her finger on why.

Because of the familiarity of the second attacker's style she had called in an old friend. Alastor Moody had given her a few possibilities, but 2 were in Azkaban and the other 3 had claimed to be under the Imperius Curse, so she couldn't question them without a solid lead pointing in their direction. Moody's opinion was no longer seen as solid by lawyers so could not work in gaining said approval; it was seen as paranoia.

And now this. Perhaps she should talk to Susan about what had been happening at Hogwarts recently. If the stories she had been hearing were, if fact, truth and not stories then they had a lot to worry about in the coming months.

**12 Grimmauld Place**

**WEREWOLF ATTACK!**

**ROGUE WEREWOLF KILLS WIZARD IN AN ATTACK IN SOUTH WALES**

Sirius Black put the paper down after reading the article. It was well written; he was forced to admit. It skated the line between giving only the facts and inciting a panic quite well. It focused on the death of Matthew Dunbar and claimed that he saved his wife's life during the attack. There was no mention of a possible third person in the house. Now, the question was, did they not see evidence of Fay or had the investigators ignored the possibility?

The article guessed, correctly, that the attack was tied to Greyback’s pack. Remus could smell Greyback on Fay, so they knew Fenrir himself was responsible. There was a brief interview with a known werewolf hater, Dolores Umbridge, she was quoted saying that, "all beasts belong in cages." It was hard to argue that people like Greyback should be behind bars. But werewolves were human most of the time. Not all embraced the wolf the way Greyback did. Remus's wolf was much more civil as well. Sirius could never see someone wanting to cage Remus.

There was barely a mention of the other casualties that night. The article only mentioned the seven killed muggles in the last sentence of the article: "It is a relief that seven muggles were killed rather than left bitten to become more beasts."

Sirius hated people who thought in such black and white terms.

He tossed the evening Prophet aside and grabbed his cloak; if he didn't hurry, he would be late for a meeting.

Sirius stepped out of the Floo into a tastefully, if unimaginatively, decorated living room. Before him stood the two people he wanted to hex more than anyone else in the world at the moment. Richard and Madeline Dunbar.

It irritated him that he could see sweet little Fay in her parents. She had her mother's eyes and nose. Her father's hair and mouth. Fay was almost as tall as her mother already, suggesting she took after her father in that department. Both had more athletic builds, so he could see that Fay would likely just get taller and lose the baby fat. She would probably never be described as curvy, because her mother looked like a bean pole.

"Mister Black, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" Richard Dunbar asked smoothly. It was obvious he had received training from his wife on protocol.

"Can I get you anything, Lord Black?" Madeline Dunbar made a point of stressing the Lord in her address. Bloody Pure-bloods, he thought sourly.

"No please, I do not wish to keep you, and to be honest I have plans for tonight that can't be put off. I would have liked to take my time with this meeting, but I felt it too important to wait any longer."

"Of course, Lord Black," he was listening to his wife's not so subtle hints, "please have a seat. What can we do for you?"

Sirius studied them with his best 'Lord Black' sneer, "I am here to discuss your daughter." He would have smiled if it wouldn't have killed his image. The fear running across their faces was priceless.

"What would you like to know about Fay?"

Sirius turned his gaze to Madeleine Dunbar, she was much more practiced in the art of negotiation. "It has come to my attention that your daughter was a casualty of the recent Greyback attack." Yes, squirm you bigots, thought Sirius. "Do you have anything to add to my information?"

Her eyes were wide; he could see her trying to analyze his beliefs about werewolves through his demeanor, but knew she would fail. Her husband buckled under the heat of his glare.

"She was bitten. We can't have an animal living in this house. It would damage our reputation."

"Not as much as that statement damages my respect for the parents of a great kid." He leaned forward and glared at them. "Here is how this is going to work. You are going to sign off on me taking guardianship of your daughter. You will pay for her schooling and set up a trust fund for her."

"And if we don't?"

Sirius glared at her, "Then I will bury you. You will find yourself so overwhelmed by what I send down upon you that you will lose everything you have."

"People will talk if we sign over guardianship."

"People would have been talking when she showed up to Hogwarts without her school books or a place to live come the holidays."

Madeline sighed; they had walked into a trap. "What do you suggest?"

"You are going to move. I don't care where you go, but it has to be somewhere that would not be feasible for Fay to continue schooling at Hogwarts. We will draft something saying you are leaving her in my care so that she can continue her schooling with her friends. You will sound like parents who love their daughter and are doing this to avoid uprooting her life."

"And what do we get out of this if we’re still paying for it?"

Sirius almost snarled when Richard Dunbar called his daughter an 'it.' "You get to live."

"Are you threatening…?"

"Richard," his wife cut him off harshly. "We will do as you asked." She turned to her husband, "you will take the job in Italy you have been turning down for the very reason he stated, so we didn't uproot her life. It will play out well with our friends."

Sirius stood. "If you will excuse me, I really do have plans. I will be by in two days with the paperwork signing over your rights toward your child."

Madeline bowed her head, "Of course, Lord Black."

Sirius stepped into the Floo, a feral grin on his face. One problem taken care of, Moony would be happy their newest 'cub' was free to stay.

**Hogwarts Express**

For once, Hermione wasn't the first of her friends on the train. She arrived at the station early, an hour early, like she always did, but Harry and Fay had beat her there. Harry was standing, leaning against the train, talking to Fred and George. She blinked at seeing Weasley children at King's Cross before the train started rolling. "Harry," she shouted happily.

He pushed off the train and opened his arms to her. He hugged her close, "Hi."

"What are you doing here so early?"

"Remus said we could save more compartments in the same area if we got here early. Plus, he is riding the train for added security, so he thought he would sweep the train before anyone else got here."

She smiled at him, Remus and Sirius were great parents for him. She turned her head, "What are you two doing here? Is the world ending or something?"

Harry laughed, "That's what I said."

"We've been staying with Bill."

"Mom has been…" George trailed off, unsure how to describe his mother's current neurosis.

Fred shrugged. "Right now, she loves Ron and Ginny."

"She won't talk to Bill."

"Percy is only tolerated."

"Dad's been sleeping on the couch."

"Nothing is going her way, so everyone is miserable."

"Bill wanted to help Remus scan the express, so we came early."

Hermione nodded slowly. "Sorry about your mum."

Fred smiled, "It's okay, Hermione."

"Mum explodes like this every few years. We are a common target for her ire."

"We're just lucky that Bill has a flat this time."

"If he didn’t, we would be stuck at home with her. Last time, we slept in dad's shed just to get away."

They shared a look and shuddered.

Hermione giggled at the looks on their faces. "Where's Fay?"

"She's sitting in the compartment with our stuff. She's still kind of nervous to be around everyone."

She glanced at the twins with a raised eyebrow. "Do they?"

Harry nodded. "They found out by accident. Fay said something about Moony's pack all being at the house the other day and one thing led to another, now the twins and Bill know and they are going to help Fay too."

"Thank you, Fred, George." She turned her attention back to Harry, "She has got to get over her nervousness unless she wants people to realize something is wrong."

"I know, and she knows, but…"

"But knowing is completely different from feeling."

Harry nodded. "Maybe you could…"

"I'm going to go talk to her before the girls show up. The chasers may not notice, but Lavender and Parvati will notice her changed attitude straight off. If we can't get her to act normal, we can at least come up with a good story."

"Can't you use the full moon?"

Hermione and Harry looked at George, unsure what he meant.

"Her grandfather died on the last full moon and tomorrow is the full moon."

"It might be a painful reminder."

Hermione tilted her head. "That might just work. Thanks guys." She darted into the train a moment later.

"Is she doing okay?" Fred asked quietly.

"She's nervous. It doesn't help that her first transformation is at school and not at home."

"What's the plan?"

"Hermione is going to sneak her out of the dorm using my cloak and then she and Remus are going to head down to the house Sirius bought on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Dumbledore asked that he not be on the grounds during his transformation; a failsafe if his condition is discovered."

"Who all knows?"

"Snape and McGonagall."

"Not the Headmaster?"

Harry shrugged. "Sirius doesn't really trust him and Remus is unhappy with his choices concerning my living situation."

"Bill was steaming about his reaction to what happened to your aunt and uncle. Apparently, he wanted to send you to live with your cousin."

Harry's eyes went wide. "With Marge and Dudley?" They nodded. "I would have died from my injuries in a week living with Marge." Harry shuddered just thinking about Marge Dursley. "So, no, the Headmaster doesn't know."

"HARRY!"

The three turned to see Oliver Wood jogging their way. "What are we, Captain, chopped liver?"

"You're annoying is what you are," Percy muttered walking up behind Oliver.

"He's so mean to us."

"So very rude."

"Both of them."

"All they care about is wittle Hawwy."

"Do you ever have conversations that don't end with you talking back and forth?" Neville grinned at them, Seamus and Dean standing on either side of him.

"No," the twins said as one.

"Seamus," Fred asked, sounding authoritative, "how did you do on your homework?"

Seamus straightened. "I got through the reading and came up with some designs."

"Good," George nodded, "we will take you to the lab tomorrow and observe you while you work, for safety purposes, of course."

"What are they talking about?" asked Neville.

"The twins want Seamus to help them design some products. They had him read up on fireworks. Something about how if he can make fireworks without blowing up the lab then they can trust him with their more sensitive ideas."

"So, I really don't want to know."

"No, Nev, you really don't."

The ride to Hogwarts was uneventful. Harry wasn't sure why it felt so strange.

Ron and Ginny had shown up with Molly at the last possible moment, he had no idea where they were sitting, but none of his friends were going to let Ginny near his compartment. She was still under the delusion that she and Harry were engaged. She would have to meet with her healer three times a week about her obsession. Ginny was doing better concerning the fear the Chamber incident had painted on her. She had accepted that she was not responsible for her actions and that with training and diligence she could fight someone trying to force her to do something.

Ron, on the other hand had been given a clean bill of health. He honestly didn't blame Harry for anything. The healers had gone back and reviewed all the things they had done over the years. It had been a revelation for Ron to go back and look at all of their adventures objectively. He had honestly admitted that he was the cause of a number of their poor choices. The midnight duel, he had accepted, not Harry. Flying the car to school, his fault entirely. Fighting with Malfoy, he always retaliated. Hermione and the troll, his fault again.

He had swung by about an hour into the trip. He had sat down with his sister and that Lovegood girl for the train ride. The two girls had bored him, so he had searched Harry out and apologized for his poor choices. Ron had also made a point to apologize for his rude comments toward Hermione.

The strangest occurrence of the day was Malfoy's yearly visit. He had shown up about half way through the trip, after the snack trolley had been and gone. The first difference had been the identity of his book-ends; Crabbe and Goyle were not there, instead he was flanked by Zabini and Nott.

His opening retort had not been 'Potter,' he had instead led with "Cousin."

Harry was shocked he had admitted the distant relationship. "Cousin."

"Mother wanted me to relay her wishes that you enjoy the year. She also wants me to remind you not to forget to write."

Harry smiled. "I will be sure to write her soon. Hedwig will be pleased I have more people to write to, she really does love to fly long distances."

"I will see you in class," his eye twitched, "Harry."

Harry fought his laughter over the other boy's discomfort. "See you later, Draco."

Zabini raised an eyebrow and followed Malfoy. Nott snorted, "I think I am going to enjoy this. Thanks for making things interesting, Potter."

Nott was gone before anyone could reply.

"Mate," Dean said with wide eyes, "that was really weird."

Seamus nodded, "I don't think I have ever seen the two of you talk without wands being drawn."

Harry shrugged, "We talked and both admitted that we acted poorly over the last two years. I let certain influences push me to react where I normally wouldn't and he let his father's influence lead the way instead of thinking. Sirius is important to me and to his mother, because of this, we will probably be seeing each other more often. We have agreed to a truce."

"Do you think you will ever be friends?" Neville wanted to know.

"I don't know. Right now, things are tense and awkward unless we're talking about quidditch so it seems unlikely. Later, I guess it's possible."

"Still think it's strange, mate" Dean muttered.

**Hogsmeade**

Fay and Remus walked quickly toward the house Sirius bought in Hogsmeade. Sirius planned to stay there off and on throughout the year, particularly during Hogsmeade weekends and quidditch weekends. He had also prepped the house for Remus to use on the full moons.

Albus had been firm that he wanted to reduce the possible objections the parents and Board of Governors could make if Remus's 'furry little problem' got out. He had decided that he could not allow Remus to be on Hogwarts grounds during his transformations. He had also suggested a much heavily warded location, the Shrieking Shack was falling down after all.

They had decided to not tell the Headmaster about Fay. Plausible deniability. Professors McGonagall and Snape knew, as did Madam Pomphrey. They told Minerva as she was the Gryffindor Head of House, and she could potentially do bed checks and notice a missing student. Remus had told Severus, so that he could brew enough potion for both of them. Madam Pomphrey was told for obvious reasons, she was the school's medical expert and student health provider for all students; if Fay was sent to the hospital wing for some reason later in the year, Madam Pomphrey would have discovered it anyway.

This would be Fay's first transformation. She had done well with the potion, it was probably the worst one she would ever have to take, it made Skele-Gro taste like candy. Her nerves were shot.

She had been despondent all day. Restless and jumpy. Remus knew Hermione had tried to distract her but had little success.

"You will be fine, Fay. I'm here for you."

"I'm nervous. I know that the shift will be painful. I know that I really won't be completely me. What if the wolf and I don't get along? What if she rebels?"

"Fay, you and the wolf will meet for the first time tonight. She has been rising in you all month, but this is her first time out. She will be just as unsure as you are. What you need to remember is that you two need to become a team. The Wolfsbane potion doesn't completely suppress the wolf like they think, it gives the person and the wolf a chance to truly interact because of how docile it leaves the animal inside. You need to initiate that dialog. If you can get to know each other and discover what you can work together on, it will make everything easier.

"I will be there the whole time. She won't have a chance to rebel because Moony won't let her. He knows that, to keep you both safe, we need to limit your exposure to the outside world until you and the wolf are more in sync." He pulled her to a stop just outside the door to the house. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Moony won't let anything happen either. He and I want basically the same thing. We want a healthy pack; in order to have that, we need to help you get to a point where you and your wolf cooperate the way Moony and I do."

"Are you two going to stand out there until moonrise or are you going to come in?"

Remus glared slightly, "Funny, Padfoot."

"Hello, little Fay. Don't worry about anything, Moony and your favorite lovable Grim, Padfoot, will be there for you tonight."

Fay smiled weakly and walked passed him into the house.

"Head down to the basement, Fay. Moon rise is in about an hour. Get comfortable and I'll be down in a few minutes."

"The room on the right is for your use," Sirius called after her. He waited until she was out of sight before turning back to Remus. "What took you so long?"

"Harry and Hermione were worried. Hermione kept biting her lip and hugging Fay. Harry just stood there scuffing his shoe on the floor."

"You think they are going to ask?"

"Probably. I'm not going to bring it up though, you shouldn't either. Wait until they come to you, Padfoot. Do not suggest that they become animagi for her sake. It needs to be something they want to do. Whatever their reasoning, it has to be their idea."

"I know, Moony. I sometimes wonder if we pushed him too hard back then when we were trying."

"They won't make the same mistakes we did."

Sirius nodded. "You should get down there. That girl is wound tight tonight."

Remus's face tightened. He remembered his first change. He understood the fear. It would be different for his cub.

…

Fay sat on the cushioned floor in the reinforced basement, her arms wrapped around her bent knees. She wore an oversized T shirt and a pair of old cotton shorts. Her clothes would most likely be destroyed when the changes happened. Remus had given her the choice of facing the change alone, for which he suggested forgoing clothing all together, or he offered to be in the room with her, meaning they would both wear grubby old clothes they didn't care about.

Fay had wanted to show Gryffindor bravery and face it alone, but she couldn't. She was too afraid of what she might do during and in the moments directly after the change. What if she broke out of the room and bit Sirius? What if she broke out of the house and bit someone in the village? What if she killed someone? What if she made it to Hogwarts and went on a killing spree?

Intellectually, she knew she wouldn't. For one, she had taken the Wolfsbane potion. She also knew that Remus was an Alpha and her wolf was too young to have the ability to defy him. Remus also would never let that happen for her peace of mind.

She jumped when someone knocked on the closed door. "It's open," she mumbled, assuming it was Remus and knowing that he could hear her mumbles due to heightened wolf senses.

Remus opened the door and stepped into the room. He was dressed just like she was, an old T shirt and shorts but unlike her, much of his showing skin was scarred from previous transformations. "Do you want to do this in here or in the main room?"

Fay didn't know how to respond, so she shrugged.

"From experience, I can tell you that the wolf will prefer more space. They don't like being caged in so the bigger the room, the better; at least until you and the wolf come to an understanding."

Biting her lip, Fay held out a hand toward him.

He smiled softly and pulled her to her feet. He led her into the main room in the basement, Sirius had done a lot of work to it. The entire underground portion of the house was warded, sound proofed, and reinforced. The walls and floors had cushioning charms in the hope of preventing injury if their wolves tried to break through the walls. It was the least cage like 'den' he had ever transformed in. It helped that there were no iron bars or chains.

Fay looked around the room and relaxed slightly. Sirius had decorated the rooms in a calming way. There weren't any pictures or furniture, the werewolves would just destroy them if they were agitated, but he had painted the walls to look like a forest. They were enchanted and the trees swayed as if the wind was blowing.

"Moon rise is almost upon us. Do you have any last-minute questions?"

She shook her head nervously.

Remus sighed and pulled her into a hug. "I won't lie, little cub. This will not be a pleasant experience. The change is painful and sharing your mind with the wolf is disconcerting. The pain won't go away, but spending your time as a werewolf will become less confusing with every transformation."

"I can do this," She tried to sound braved but her voice shook.

Fay started pacing.

Remus watched and waited.

The door opened and Sirius stepped in and instantly changed into Padfoot. The Grim ambled over to Fay with a doggy grin and bumped his head into her leg.

She ruffled his head absentmindedly.

"Any time now, Padfoot."

The Grim looked at the man and wandered over to sit near the steel door.

Suddenly, Fay shrieked and doubled over.

By the Goddess, it hurt so much.

Her muscles burned.

Her bones ground together.

Her skin stretched to the point she thought it would tear right off of her.

She focused on Remus.

He made no noise, but she could see the pain in his eyes.

His body stretched, just as hers was.

He looked less human by the second.

Deep brown fur spread over his skin.

His teeth and claws elongated.

Remus's eyes never left hers.

Fay collapsed as her body stopped changing.

…

Moony sat watching the cub. His Beta sat at his side also watching the newest member of the pack. So far so good.

The Grim barked softly when the small chocolate brown wolf slowly rolled to a standing position.

She sniffed the air hesitantly and her golden eyes fell on Moony. Slowly, painfully, the small wolf made her way toward the Alpha werewolf.

Moony stood, proud and tall.

The little wolf crouched before him in respect, begging acceptance.

Moony sniffed the wolf. He smelled power. He smelled honor. He smelled pack. He smelled family. The Alpha wolf wanted to growl at the lingering feel of the false Alpha, but held back his ire. His little wolf needed care and training.

He rubbed his head against the cub, showing his acceptance. His little wolf nuzzled into his neck seeking comfort.

Moony showed the little wolf what it was to be a wolf of the moon.

…

Moony could feel the change from night to day approaching. He nudged his cub toward one of the open doors, the human said his cub would be more comfortable being alone when the change reversed. The Alpha would do anything for the pack cubs.

His little cub bounced into the room and then curled up on the rug. She looked content. Moony felt Remus start to exert control over their shared mind and he let him, the human knew what was best for the cub at this stage.

Remus made his way into the room prepared for his use around the full moon and did as Fay had done, curled up on the cushioned rug. The sun would rise at any moment.

There was pain, every change was painful but he was used to it at this point; after 29 years of full moons the pain was routine.

He winced hearing Fay moan. Going from wolf to human hurt less for some reason, perhaps it was because the body was returning to its original form or compressing the bones, muscles and skin just caused less pain, but for someone who had never felt this kind of pain it had to be excruciating.

Remus shuddered and stretched when he felt his form complete its transformation. The day after the full moon was almost worse than the change itself; his entire body would ache with every movement he took.

He looked up at the knock on the door. Sirius stood in the open doorway, a tired smile on his face. "I think that went well. Moony seemed to really take a shine to our little Fay."

Remus pushed himself into a sitting position, "He loves her."

"Really? Just like that?"

"Moony has been lonely. He has been happier the last few moons having Padfoot back but there was still something missing. I've neglected his need for companionship for too long. Having another wolf, even if she is just a cub with no knowledge of their ways, was like coming home. I've never felt him that content before."

"I'm happy for you, Moony."

"Thanks, Pads. Help me up would you. I want to get some clothes on and go check on her."

Sirius pulled him to his feet and started to walk toward the door. "I'll go get the extra strength pain reliever and the energy potions that Snape made for you."

Remus grunted as he pulled on his clothes. "Hurry." He didn't even try to put on any shoes or socks, bending that far was just too much for his aching muscles right now.

He heard another moan coming from Fay's full moon room. "Fay, do you need any help?"

"Why does everything hurt?"

"Can I come in?"

"Please."

Remus opened the door. Fay was on the floor, curled up into a little ball. She had managed to get her favorite comfy pajamas on, a baby blue tank and darker blue pants with light blue moons on them. He could see dried tears on her face.

"Oh, little wolf," Remus ignored his aching bones and sat on the floor next to her. He pulled her limp form onto his lap, her back leaning into his chest. "I know everything aches. The morning after is always going to be hard. Professor Snape has invented a potion that alleviates some of the pain, it at least makes it so that you can function. He also has an energy potion that will help us get through classes after the full moon. Sirius is getting those for us."

"Does it get easier?"

"After a while, with pain potions, you can almost ignore the ache."

"Did I do okay?"

Remus smiled at her. "Moony was very pleased. He has never dealt with a cub before, but he thought you and your wolf did very well and he liked that you both seemed so willing to listen and learn. Werewolves, like normal wolves, are proud and have fairly complex rules. He enjoyed showing you what life in the pack should be like." He rubbed her arms, trying to sooth her strained muscles. "How did it go between you and your wolf?"

"She was like a puppy. My neighbor got a puppy a few years ago and it was always running around excited. Her thoughts were like that. She did know that she needed to put that on hold for Moony. He kind of scared her at first." She tilted her head to the side, stretching her muscles, "She wanted to impress him with her maturity and I agreed. For her that meant showing she was in control of herself. She really wanted to explore and run, but held back. I never felt like she wanted to hunt. Is that normal?"

"I know people say that the Wolfsbane potion allows you to keep your mind during the full moon, but that isn't entirely correct. Yes, you are still present, but the wolf is also there. What it really does is weakens the wolf's control over the mind, allowing you to coexist, and decreases the primal nature of the werewolf. Werewolves are much more violent than normal wolves, the potion makes them more civilized; it allows the increased intelligence of the werewolf to shine through instead of the instinct to maim."

"Do you still hear Moony?"

"I do now. I didn't for a long time. It took a lot of self-reflection for me to hear him. It took losing my friends for me to really look that deeply."

"Will it take me a long time to hear her?"

"No, I don't think so. It helped me to accept what I was when I finally heard Moony in my head on an everyday basis. I'll help you find her and connect to her."

"We need to name your wolf, little Fay." Sirius stood in the doorway, a tray of potions and hot chocolate in his hands. "I was thinking Coco, because your fur is like chocolate."

"No." Remus and Fay said as one.

"But I think it's cute."

"No, Padfoot. Moony is stuck with his name, he hates it, but we have been Moony too long to change it. He demands a more dignified name for his cub."

"What does Moony have in mind?" Sirius sounded a little put out.

"Faolan."

"I think it's pretty," Fay smiled up at Remus.

"What does it mean?" asked Sirius.

"Little wolf, it's Irish."

"To Moony, you will always be his Faolan."

**Entrance Hall, early morning**

Harry and Hermione stood in the entrance hall waiting. Hermione was nervous and wanted to see her friend. Harry was just tired. He really needed to learn to silence the area around his bed; the other boys snored and he couldn't sleep through it. Dean and Seamus seemed to snore in concert with each other. They had great timing in their sleep. Ron's snoring had gotten worse, he was so loud and he also kind of whistled when he breathed. Neville wasn't so bad, but with the others it didn't really matter.

"Where are they?"

"I'm sure they are on their way, Hermione." Harry watched her pace and smiled slightly. He loved this about her. She cared so much for others. "I know you're worried, but Remus knows all about this. He'll take care of her."

"He is, in fact, correct Miss Granger."

"Professor Snape!" Hermione gasped. What was he doing here? "How are you this morning?"

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow in what Harry was beginning to understand was amusement, well at least that eyebrow raise was amusement; he had an eyebrow raise for most emotions. "I am fine, Miss Granger. What, might I ask, are the two of you doing lurking in the entrance hall so early in the morning?"

"Um…" Hermione scuffed her shoe on the ground and looked at Harry somewhat frantically.

"We're waiting for Remus and Fay, Professor. Hermione is worried about how Fay is reacting to her first full moon."

"Harry?" Hermione asked, uncertainly.

"Professor Snape knows, Hermione. He brewed the Wolfsbane."

"I also brewed some potions that may make the after-affects less debilitating. I am here to ascertain their effectiveness."

"And I can say," Remus said softly as he and Fay walked into the main hall from a well-hidden side passageway, "that your potions definitely help."

"How is the pain?"

"Manageable. I still ache, but not the way I usually do. I am up and walking. I wouldn't want to duel or demonstrate anything complicated in class, but I could manage a decent lecture."

"And your energy levels?"

"I don't think I will need to nap before bed tonight. I'll let you know how I'm feeling throughout the day but I think that one is working just as intended."

"I can attempt to strengthen the pain reliever. I am attempting to avoid addictive ingredients, so I may have to find an alternative ingredient or two, but I should be able to give you something else to try by the third moon of the school year."

"Thank you, Severus. It is helping, but something stronger would make it easier on Miss Dunbar; she actually has to perform in class whereas I can tailor my lesson plans around my health."

Severus nodded, "I will do what I can." He nodded to the students and departed.

Hermione ran to Fay, but stopped herself from jumping the girl. Instead she slowly wrapped the girl in a soft hug. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I fell off my broom and bruised my entire body a week ago. Everything just aches."

"You should take a warm bath."

"We only have showers in the dorms, Hermione."

"I'm sure Fred and George could sneak you into the Prefects bathroom," Remus winked. "I should get going. I have a staff meeting in about an hour and I would like to get some more hot chocolate before it starts." Remus rubbed Fay's arm, "I am here if you need me, Faolan."

Remus disappeared a moment later, using more shortcuts from his Marauder days.

"Faolan?" asked Harry.

"Moony named my wolf. Faolan means little wolf." Fay grinned broadly. It felt great to be Moony's little wolf. Maybe that meant they were one step closer to being family.

**Defense Professor's Office**

Remus was just finishing up with the last of his lesson plans for the first term. He had made an outline for each year, with enough wiggle room that he could deviate if necessary. He was really looking forward to the start of classes on Monday. The first years had done their introductory day on the 2nd, which had also been the night of the full moon. Now it was Saturday and he was finally done.

"Do you have a moment?"

Remus looked up to see Severus standing in the doorway. Severus was still very reserved with him, he understood why. They hadn't had a chance to talk yet. Severus had been busy with the Basilisk and experimenting with some challenging potions. Remus had been reconnecting with his pack and then helping Fay adjust to the changes in her life.

"Of course," he stood and gestured toward the door behind his desk that led to his quarters. "Can I get you some tea?"

"Please," Severus said gruffly. "I wanted to talk about the Wolfsbane and its effects."

"What did you want to know?"

"I get the feeling that it does not work the way potions masters assume. We have been told that it completely suppresses the werewolf and leaves only the human mind in control. Is that the case?"

"No, not really." Remus sighed; he wasn't sure why werewolves didn't share this with others. "Without the Wolfsbane potion, the human mind is essentially put to sleep during the full moon. You remember nothing of what your body does during your transformation."

"So you don't remember that night?"

Remus had hoped this would come up at some point. He wanted Severus to understand what had happened back in school when Sirius had led him to the Whomping Willow the night of the full moon. "No, Severus. I remember absolutely nothing of that night. I only learned the details the next day from James. I was absolutely furious with Sirius. I didn't speak to him for the rest of the school year; James didn't trust him with any of their plans. The only one who didn't punish him for that particularly stupid idea was Peter, which, I now realize, was rather telling considering where he ended up."

"What made me most angry about the incident was that the Headmaster seemed to blame me. I see now he wasn't blaming me, only warning me away from making an issue out of it, which would have killed you, but it was painful to watch him get away with almost killing both of us."

"He didn't get away with it." Remus assured him with hard eyes. Severus should not have thought Sirius's crimes went unpunished. "The Headmaster put him on probation for the remainder of his schooling; pranks were okay, to a point, but anything malicious would see him expelled. He couldn't take points or give him the amount of detention he deserved, because people would ask questions; he was given a week for being out after curfew. It was done that way so that I might live."

Severus nodded. It made sense. He couldn't fault the man for the beast's actions. Remus was always the most fair minded of the four.

"As for your question about what the potion does, it doesn't remove the wolf mind it merely removes the blood thirstiness. Werewolves are much more intelligent than any animal you could come across but their intelligence is pushed aside by the light of the full moon. The full moon renders them almost mindless. There is a rumor that if you embrace the wolf you can blend your mind with that of the wolf, but it is very dangerous and often ends with the human mind being devoured. I suspect that the only way to do so is to have a mind so twisted that it can accept the mindless carnage the full moon often brings."

"You believe Greyback has achieved this blending?"

"Yes, he has achieved the blending of minds without the aid of the potion."

"The Wolfsbane potion allows this?"

Remus nodded. "If you listen and focus, the potion makes blending the human mind with the wolf mind very easy."

"So you and the wolf are joined?"

"In a way, yes. Moony and I are still separate, but we are united in our path. We will do anything to protect our pack." Remus leaned forward in his chair, "Back before he and I came to our understanding he adopted James, Sirius, Lily and Harry and named them his pack. I was never the lead in our friendship, but Moony always saw himself as the Alpha in our relationship, James his Beta. Losing James and Lily devastated us both. It was that devastation that started us on the path to accepting each other. We were united in our goal of protecting our cub, protecting Harry.

"We knew that we would never be given guardianship of Harry, because we didn't have an actual job and I would never be able to hold one here and keep my infliction secret. The wolf pushed me to follow the plan to go abroad to get a mastery and make myself more respectable in the eyes of the government."

"You were given access to the potion overseas I take it."

"Yes, the man in charge of my mastery didn't care about me being a werewolf, he gave me the potion and taught me all I wished to know about defense, but the potion isn't why my wolf and I get along. It did help, but we had come to an understanding before we had access to it."

"Are you still present during the full moon transformation with the potion?"

"The potion allows both minds to exist at once. Generally, the wolf is in charge, it is much stronger under the light of the full moon, but the human mind can exert control with training and enough strength."

"Does the potion really make the werewolf safe?"

"It depends on the person. Most don't want to kill and the wolf tends to have a similar mindset to the human. An average human will have a normal wolf, albeit one who is now fiercely protective of those the human mind cares for. Whereas, giving someone like Greyback the potion wouldn't do a thing. He loves the madness, loves the bloodshed; becoming a werewolf gave him an excuse to let that part of himself out. Wolfsbane allows the civilized portion of the wolf to meet the human mind. When there is no civilized human mind there is no need for the civilized portion of the wolf to exist"

"When you connect with the wolf is the potion still necessary?"

"Yes. The madness still exists in us. Neither Moony nor I can control the madness without the potion, the only way a wolf without the potion would be able to resist killing is for an Alpha to forbid it. Unfortunately, I don't have that luxury as Moony is an Alpha in his own right and will listen to no other. I could keep others from attacking if they didn't take the potion though."

"Is there anything you would like changed about the potion?"

"Pain relief would be appreciated."

"I can attempt it, but I don't know if that would negate the control factor." He frowned slightly, "Do you want a cure?"

Remus's eyes widened. What could he say? "I have come to terms with what I am, Severus. I won't lie, I would love to sit and admire a full moon someday without turning into a giant, blood thirsty wolf, but if there was never a cure, I would be fine. That being said, if you could find a cure I would forever be in your debt. Not for what it would allow me, but for what it would do for Fay."

"You love the girl, don't you?"

"Part of me does. Moony loves her endlessly, both parts of her. I am rather fond of her and can see her becoming a daughter to me in much the way Harry is like a son."

"I will do what I can, Remus. I will look into creating a cure, but will make no promises. What I will promise is to create a better pain reliever and I will attempt to make the actual transformation less painful by adding a pain dampening effect to the Wolfsbane potion."

"Thank you."

Severus nodded. "It is something my best friend would have wanted me to do."

**Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom**

"Good afternoon, class," Remus smiled at the Slytherin and Gryffindor students sitting in his classroom. "This year in Defense we will be covering creatures and how to defend against them. Now can anyone tell me why we would cover creatures in Defense when Care of Magical Creatures is an offered class here?

"Miss Greengrass?" he gestured to the Slytherin girl.

"Care of Magical Creatures is geared toward individuals who might one day work with magical animals; we cover creatures in this class because you might come in contact with one outside your profession and would need some knowledge on how to defend yourself."

"Well said. Who can think of a creature that you might run into that you would need to defend yourself from?"

"Mister Longbottom?"

"Doxies."

Doxies appeared on the board. "Miss Davis?"

"Grindylows."

The creature's name followed Doxies.

"Mister Zabini?"

"Dementors."

"Mister Finnegan?"

"Bogarts."

"Mister Weasley?"

Ron gulped, "Acromantulas."

Each creature named added to the list.

"One last one, Mister Malfoy?"

"Basilisk."

"Very good, but for that last one my only advice for you is to close your eyes and run." Remus smiled warily. "I hope to teach you methods that could save you later on down the road. There are some creatures we won't be able to tackle. Dementors for instance have only one counter, the Patronus. The Patronus charm is exceedingly difficult to cast and many adults can't cast it so we will only be able to cover specifics about the creature and the theory behind the spell. Others," Remus walked around behind his desk and picked up a tank, "we can study in class and learn methods to protect ourselves."

The creature in the tank was small and winged with black hair. "This is one of the creatures we mentioned here today. Can anyone tell me which one it is?"

"Miss Dunbar?"

Fay smiled softly, "That is a Doxy."

"Correct. Doxies prefer cold climates so you will find them all over Europe, so you may very well find them searching your attics." Remus levitated the tank along the front row of students allowing them to have a minute to observe the angry little beast. "There are actually two types of Doxies; drones and queens. Queens are stronger and much harder to dispatch.

"Can anyone tell me one way to get rid of Doxies? Miss Parkinson?"

"Doxicide."

"Yes. Doxicide is a potion that stuns Doxies allowing a witch or wizard to collect them to get rid of them. Anyone else have a method?"

He called on Hermione, "The Knockback jinx."

"Exactly. The Knockback Jinx is quite simple, and one you should have learned in first year. Today we are going to review and work on accuracy of casting. The incantation, for those who don't remember, is Flipendo." He then demonstrated the wand movement. "Now if you will all stand and take out your wands."

Remus flicked his wand and the tables pushed to the edges of the room. A second flick brought a box of pillows in various sizes. "We are going to practice on these. Each of you take a pillow. I would like to witness each of you casting to ensure that you have it down correctly. Once we have finished that we are going to make it a bit more interesting. Doxies will not be still when you are trying to repel them. I am going to charm the pillows to fly around haphazardly and we will have a bit of a contest to see who can hit the most pillows with the curse."

The students left the class excited. They had never had a fun Defense class. Quirrell had barely managed to teach them anything around his stuttering and Lockhart had been more interested in story time.

Professor Lupin had managed to teach them about Doxies and the magical way to counter them and make a game of it. The smarter students realized he also taught them the importance of practicing spells, control and aim.

The top students in terms of aim had been Theo Nott, Harry Potter and Fay Dunbar. Draco Malfoy had hit quite a few pillows but he had missed just as many, he could cast quickly but had less control. Hermione had great aim, but lacked speed. Remus assumed that Harry's seeker skills aided him in his speed and accuracy, while Fay's Lycanthrope enhanced vision would give her an edge with aim. Nott had always been one of the better students in the class based on the previous test scores.

**Care of Magical Creatures**

The first week of classes had been going great. Everyone loved Remus's class, they had actually learned something! Transfiguration looked to be harder, of course, as did all the other core subjects, well History wasn't any different. The third years had so far liked their new classes.

Arithmancy was magical math used to predict outcomes and it could be used in spell creation. Harry had liked math in primary school, so was actually looking forward to the class, despite the fact that it was supposed to be the hardest class. Hermione was the only other Gryffindor in the class with him. This class actually had the smallest class size, 3 Puffs, 7 Claws, 4 Snakes and 2 Lions.

Ancient Runes was interesting. The first class had actually been a discussion about what type of careers used the knowledge learned in the class. Harry was so glad he had decided to take it. There were so many careers that Runes could be useful in. Curse Breaking and Warding had been obvious. It made sense that Aurors would find the knowledge useful. He hadn't even considered Rune use in inventing, Herbology or Potions. It was amazing. Neville, Hermione, Dean and Fay were in the class with him.

Parvati and Lavender had decided to take Muggle Studies and Divination. They thought Muggle Studies was going to be boring, but they absolutely loved Divination. Apparently, the professor had predicted Harry's death in class, despite the fact that he wasn't there and he had no knowledge of ever meeting her. Seamus had taken Divination, as had Ron, and had relayed all the details to the rest of them.

They were all excited for the final elective course. Harry was just a little concerned because Hagrid was teaching it. If he thought Norbert was precious, what would he present to the class?

"Welcome ta Care o Magical Creatures. I'm Hagrid, if yer didn't know, and I'll be teachin ya this year. I wanted to start out wit something good, but was told a Hippogriff might be a bit much for ya. So instead we'll be lookin at a few different creatures and seeing if we can identify which is which."

Hagrid smiled somewhat nervously. "In these habitats are Cornish pixies, Doxies, fairies, and Imps."

The students were split into four groups, each group sent to a habitat. They spent a block of time at a tank and then switched. Hagrid had the students observe each and note the differences in appearance. He had them note activity and temperament.

Harry actually enjoyed the class. It was hands on and safe, something he really hadn't expected from Hagrid.

It looked to be a good year. He couldn't wait for a normal year.

**Elsewhere**

She put the paper down and tried to suppress a growl. Greyback had struck again.

He had killed 12 in a small town on the Eastern coast of Britain, slightly north of his former target in Whales. None of the deaths had been wizards this time. Unlike last time though, he had bitten three of his victims; being muggle, it would be a matter of chance if they survived their first transformation. Muggle bodies didn't always have the strength to continue on after the pain.

She wondered what he was up to. Why was he targeting populated areas so close together? Why were both targets under the jurisdiction of the British Ministry of Magic? Did he have a plan? Did he have a target?

She took a chance returning, she knew this. Greyback’s practices had been explained to her and the danger of her being forced to follow him was great. She would refuse him, even if it killed her. She would die trying to kill the one who turned her all those years ago.


	13. Conversations

**Hogwarts Infirmary, Private Room**

"Good afternoon, Ginny. How are you today?"

Ginny sniffed and whipped her nose, "Not well, Healer Blithe."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Would you like to talk about it?"

The young girl nodded sadly, "Harry has a girlfriend."

"I see. How does that make you feel?"

"I really wish it was me. I want to be her so bad, but I know I can't."

"Why is that?"

"Harry asked Hermione out." Ginny looked at her hands, "Hermione and I are so different. She's top of the class, I'm a little above average overall. She's in his year, I'm a year younger. He can actually talk to her and she to him; I make him nervous because I can't form a complete sentence when he is around. It's hopeless, Harry will never want me now."

"Those differences don't mean he couldn't eventually like you. Why do you seem so sure he would never want you now?" The healer took a chance with this question. She didn’t want to encourage Ginny with her obsession but she did want to know if the young redhead had other reasons for her loss of hope for gaining the boy's affections.

"Because he asked her out."

"Why does that make a difference?"

"Harry is really shy around girls. I started thinking about it after one of our sessions toward the end of August. He can really only talk to the chasers and Hermione; he gets tongue tied around any other girl. He has only just started to be able to talk to the other girls in his year group and the only one he is comfortable around is Fay, and that has something to do with the fact that her parents moved and she moved in with him because they didn't want to make her move schools." Ginny sighed dejectedly, "I realized that Harry wasn't really ready to date. Some boys aren't ready as fast as girls are. Harry isn't Seamus, who has been sniffing around every girl he comes in contact with, he's Harry."

"And who is Harry?"

"He is quiet. He doesn't like attention. He hates being famous. He's brave and really kind. Harry is like the perfect guy because when he notices you, he NOTICES you. I didn't think he had even noticed girls were different yet. I thought he was still in that stage where girls were just like boys, you know, friends but with longer hair and stuff like that."

"But he has a girlfriend?"

"Yeah. I heard my brothers talking about it in the common room the other day. They were apologizing to the chasers for telling them off. Apparently, the chasers kept hinting that Harry and Hermione should be dating and my brothers didn't think Harry was ready for that kind of teasing; I would have agreed." She looked up to her healer's eyes. "Harry told the twins that he wasn't sure he was ready to date, but he knew other boys were; he is sort of friends with Seamus who talks about girls a lot, so he started thinking. He started thinking about the girls he knew and wondered who would ask them out and he got stuck on Hermione. My brothers said that he told them that the very thought of Hermione dating someone else scared him. He didn't want someone to take her away from him. So he asked her out."

"How does that make you feel?"

"I feel sad and disappointed. I like Harry. I wanted a chance. I can still see what our life would have been like if we married in the future, but I don't think that is possible anymore." A tear fell down her cheek. "I want a boy to think of me like that. I would want a boy to ask me out because the mere thought of me dating someone else felt wrong."

"They are young."

"That's true, but this is also Harry and Hermione. They aren't like most other kids. Most people our age are more like Lavender and Seamus; in the moment and just a little bit crazy. Harry and Hermione are more like Percy, only more serious in a scary way; they don't make friends easily and they hold on to those friends as if their life depended on it. They are also different because they always seem to be in the middle of all of the crazy stuff that happens around here. I know I'm not mature enough for Harry. I don't know that I ever will be."

"What are you going to do?"

"I am going to work on me. I need to find me and leave the dreaming behind."

"You don't have to stop dreaming, Ginny, there is nothing wrong with dreaming of something else, something better, something you want. What you need to do is differentiate dreams from reality."

Ginny blinked, "I guess you're right."

"Will you continue to speak to me?"

"Yes," she said firmly, "I'm not ready to do this on my own. I need someone outside the family to make sure I'm not letting those weak parts of me take over."

"You aren't weak, Ginny. You were used and manipulated."

Ginny shrugged. "I had a dream last night."

"What kind of dream?"

"Not like any from the summer. This one was about Harry and Hermione. They were dating, I think we were all a bit older, and I was really unhappy about it. In the dream, I did some awful things. I brewed potions to separate them. Love potions keyed to me for Harry and potions to induce rage between them. They ended up almost killing each other and I just stood there and laughed because they weren't together."

"How did that make you feel?"

"I woke up feeling dirty. I was disgusted with myself. I would never do that. I want to be with Harry, but I also want him to be happy. He wasn't happy in my dream because he loved her and I was causing them to fight."

The healer studied Ginny. "I think you have made a lot of progress since returning to the school, Ginny."

The girl blushed. "I think being away from home has helped. My brothers know about Harry and they know me; mom loves me and wants what's best for me and I think to her that means Harry. I just needed some time away from her telling me that I could and should have everything I ever dreamed about. I wasn't ready to see that maybe I wasn't seeing what was best for me."

"I will be talking to your father; is there anything you would like me to tell him?"

"Tell him that I am getting better, because I can feel it. I am getting better. Also, tell him that I won't be home for the holiday, because I need to find me before I am around mom."

"I think that is wise, Ginny. I suggest you also write to him."

"I will, I just want him to hear from you that this is what I need to do."

"Ginny, it is what is right for you because it is what you have decided. A lot of mind healing is done by the person in need of healing. We healers suggest and direct, but you have to want to do it. You have to find what works for you. I am very proud of you, Miss Weasley. I think you are going to be just fine."

**Malfoy Manor**

"I told you to take care of the Weasley children."

"Yes, you did, Malfoy. You told me to make sure they couldn't talk about what happened at the end of the school year. I made it so they wouldn't talk about it with anyone who wasn't already aware."

"You left the memory?"

"It takes much more concentration to Obliviate events from a mind than it does to cast a Compulsion charm. I chose to cast the Compulsion charms because I had a limited window to achieve what you asked of me. It was a challenge to hide my actions from the other parents picking up their children as it was. If you wanted something different you should have done it yourself."

"I suppose you have a point. To Obliviate all five of Arthur's children would have attracted far too much attention."

The other man frowned. "I only cast the Compulsion on three Weasley children."

"I told you to take care of all his children and you only fixed three of them?"

"Arthur only had three children with him at the train station. The Prefect and the twins."

"What about the girl and the one in Draco's year?"

"I don't know; they did not arrive with the train. Rumor has it that his youngest children have been in St. Mungo's seeing mind healers all summer."

Lucius growled, "That was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"You wanted to discuss the Weasley children's mental health?"

"No, I wanted to discuss the legality of some of the Goblin's actions recently."

"What does that have to do with the Weasley children?" he was enjoying rattling Malfoy's nerves.

"The Goblins possible illegal actions are connected with the Weasley children, because I am paying for his youngest twit's medical bills."

"What did you do to the girl, Malfoy?"

"Nothing."

"The Goblins could not and would not charge your accounts unless you had something to do with her decreased mental health. What did you do to Arthur Weasley's daughter?"

"I did nothing beyond give her a diary."

"You gave a diary to someone's daughter? How very kind of you.” His voice was sickeningly sweet, but fell very flat when he continued. “What was wrong with the diary?"

"I don't know. I found it among the dark artifacts my father had stored in the manor and thought it was placed there by accident. It read dark, but I assumed it was residual due to close proximity with the other objects."

"Your father had a diary among his secret stash?"

"Yes."

"Who did the diary belong to? What did they have written inside?"

"The diary was blank. The only writing on the entire book was the name 'T.M. Riddle'."

The other man froze. "Did you just say that the diary was the property of Tom Marvolo Riddle?"

"I suppose, it only listed the first and middle initial along with the last name. Why? Do you know who it was?"

"I went to school with him."

"You did? Who was he? I've never heard the name and for my father to have it he must have been something."

"He was a brilliant student. Tom was a Prefect and was made Head Boy. You know him too, Lucius. You just know him by another name." He stared down his nose at the younger man, "you call him 'My Lord.' Most call him You-Know-Who. The brave call him Lord Voldemort."

Lucius Malfoy was deathly pale. "The diary belonged to the Dark Lord?"

"Yes, Lucius, and you gave it to an eleven-year-old girl. What did the Goblins say the girl needed healing for Lucius?"

"What does it matter? I gave one of our Lord's possessions to a blood traitor and it was destroyed."

"It matters.” He tried to hold his anger in check, was the man stupid? “I need to know what the diary did."

Lucius glared at the other man. "They said that she was suffering from possession after-effects and guilt. There was also a note about magical exhaustion."

"What kind of magical exhaustion?"

"Something about the possessing force draining her magic."

The other man paced the office. "It sounds like one of them," he murmured. "The fact that it was our Lord's and the fact that the Basilisk was released would also suggest one of those."

"What are you going on about?"

"It would explain why he still lives despite the fact that his body was destroyed. He would have made more than one, for security purposes and the fact that the mark is still stirring confirms at least a second." He tilted his head in thought. "Seven. He would have wanted seven parts so he would have made six."

"He would have made six what?" Lucius demanded.

"Horcruxes."

"And what are Horcruxes?"

"You really don't live up to your father's legacy." He sighed, he missed Abraxas Malfoy. "A Horcrux is an item that hosts a portion of the creator's soul. When a Horcrux exists, the creator cannot truly die. Their soul will be tied to the mortal plane as long as their Horcrux survives."

"I got our Lord's soul anchor destroyed?"

He almost felt pity for the man, almost. "Our Lord would not have been satisfied with only one. He would have made six, so that there were seven pieces of his soul."

"What of the others? Can they be used to revive our Lord?"

"The others would be spread out. He would use various methods to hide them. There is a way for the Horcrux to drain a wizard of his magic to create a new body, I suspect that is what the diary was attempting to do to the Weasley girl. It takes a great deal of time unfortunately but it is a good option for us to aid our Lord." He paused briefly, "Looking back, it is likely he gave one to your sister-in-law, he loved her devotion to him."

Lucius began to smile at the thought of him having access to a second before he paled again. "How would the Goblins view these items?"

The older man frowned. "They are forbidden within the walls of Gringotts."

"What level violation?"

"Having a Horcrux in your vault would be a level seven violation if I am not mistaken."

"Bellatrix had one."

"Had?"

"The Goblins seized her vault due to a level seven violation of contract."

"Then that Horcrux is also lost to our Lord."

"Where else would he hide them?"

"I am unsure. I will have to think on it." He looked down at Lucius, "In the meantime, we must find a suitable candidate. We need someone magically powerful with little to no family."

"Why would we need someone with no family?"

"We will have to abduct someone for this to work, it would be better if no one asked questions too quickly?"

"What else?"

"I will send Yaxley to our Lord. He can help our Lord return to British soil."

"Yaxley?"

"He is a useful pawn. Dolohov taught him well. He had a great deal of fun trying to get information out of Potter's fat muggle uncle."

"So that was you?" The older man smiled. "How did you manage to mask your magical signature? They have yours on record, but they don't know who did the woman."

"That is my secret, Lucius, and one I don't plan on sharing with the likes of you."

"One day you will regret treating me as though I am beneath you."

"No, Lucius, I don't think I will." He turned and started out of the room. "I'll let you know if you can help with anything."

**Hogwarts, Seventh Floor, Sunday September 19th**

Harry held Hermione's hand while he led her down the corridor. She was blindfolded, Fred insisted, because everyone deserved a surprise on their birthday.

"Harry, how much farther?" Hermione giggled. Harry had approached her the day before, asking if she was free after lunch on the 19th, her birthday. Being as it was a Sunday; she had no plans.

"It's not much farther."

"What are we doing?"

"That, Hermione, is supposed to be a surprise. If I tell you then you won't be surprised."

Fred and George were up ahead, guarding the door. They signaled, telling Harry that everything was in place. Fred opened the door, bowing at the waist to usher them through the door.

Harry pulled Hermione into the room and stopped a few feet in. Fred and George stepped in just behind them and closed the door. Harry nodded to George, who immediately untied the blindfold.

"SURPRISE!"

Hermione jumped. Before her stood a good portion of the Gryffindor students. Her year mates, Ron included, the quidditch team, Percy, and Colin, his camera around his neck. The one, and only, teacher present was Professor Lupin.

She turned to Harry and threw her arms around him. No one but her parents had ever made any sort of deal out of her birthday. "Thank you, Harry."

"Happy Birthday, Hermione. I hope you don't mind but I invited a few more people." He smiled at her.

Hermione turned and surveyed the room. It was amazing, she had never seen a room like it in the castle. The room was circular, despite the fact that she was fairly certain they weren't in one of the towers. It was decorated in purple and gold, purple being her favorite color. There were five small tables around the room with only purple table clothes on them. On the other side of the room was two large tables; one table was piled with colorfully wrapped gifts, the other had a magnificent three-tiered cake with creamy white frosting and purple flowers.

A banner hung from the ceiling proclaiming, 'Happy 14th Birthday.'

"I love it."

"PRESENTS!" yelled the twins in unison. Fred grabbed Harry's free hand, George grabbed Hermione's, and they dragged them toward the pile of presents, Hermione laughing the whole way.

The next half hour was a blur of colorfully wrapped packages and ribbons. Alicia, Angelina and Katie had gotten her a 'date' outfit; at least that is what the card said. Shoes, skirt, blouse, coat and casual jewelry. Oliver and Percy went in together to get her a really nice shoulder bag with Feather light and Expansion charms on it; she was really excited to see what she could carry with the new bag. Neville, Seamus and Dean got her books, because they knew her. Neville's gift was a rare book on plants used in healing potions. Seamus got her a history book on the early Celtic magic. Dean got her muggle fiction novels written about magic.

Hermione couldn't help her girlish giggle when she opened the box from Parvati and Lavender. It was full of make-up and hair-care products. She laughed harder when she found a book at the bottom of the box on the history of magical beautification; inside the book was a note from Parvati's sister Padma, 'I tried to get you a book on wild magic like Lay lines, but that idea was vetoed. The only book I could get them to wrap for you was this. I hope it's not too frivolous.' She signed it, the ‘Smart Patil.'

Bill, though he wasn't there, got her a dragon hide wand holster; just like the one he got Harry.

The birthday girl was both excited and terrified at the box the twins handed her while beaming. It was either going to be really good or really bad. It was really good. There were two snow globes inside the box. One was Hogwarts, in all its glory, with swirling snow all around, every once in a while, a snowy owl would swoop through the sky. The second was not actually in the snow. It appeared to be the quidditch pitch with players in crimson and players in green flying about. Suddenly one of the crimson players dove after a little gold speck. She could see the player was designed to look like Harry. In fact, all the crimson players looked like their real-life counterparts.

"Guys, they're beautiful. Where did you get them?"

Fred grinned and George shrugged. "We made them," Fred sounded proud.

"We always run into problems finding things to buy for certain people," George added.

"Especially mom."

"She hates our joke stuff."

"So we started working on other things."

"These are the first."

"We got the idea when we were talking to your dad about quidditch."

"He would never have a way to see a game."

"Being a muggle."

"So we thought about showing him a memory."

"Then we thought about what we could get you for your birthday."

"You're kind of like mom."

"You wouldn't have appreciated joke stuff."

"And candy just didn't seem to be enough."

"We thought you would appreciate original works."

"And you love school."

"So we tried this."

"And it worked."

Hermione stood and pulled the twins into a hug, "They're perfect. I love them."

Fay bounced forward and handed her a small box. Inside were sapphire stud earrings, her birthstone.

Remus and Sirius gave her a joint gift. They gave her a self-updating potions ingredient compendium. It was brilliant.

Remus handed her a box and an envelope next. "These are from your parents." Inside the box was a lovely new wool coat and a winter cloak. There was also a bag of galleons with a note telling her to buy whatever she liked in Hogsmeade.

She was confused by the letter.

_Hermione,_

_Happy birthday. I hope you and your friends have a wonderful time together._

_We said no for a reason. He asked, so yes you can keep it._

_Your Parents_

She turned to ask Remus if her parents had said anything about the letter to find Harry standing behind her with a basket in his arms.

"Happy Birthday."

She lifted the lid of the basket and found a kitten. He was the cutest thing she had ever seen. His fur was long and fluffy, in shades of gray, accented with black and white. The little fur ball stretched and looked at her with bright greenish gold eyes.

Then it hit her. She had asked her parents if she could get a cat this year to take to school, but they had said no. They said no because Harry had asked if he could buy her a kitten.

Hermione picked up the tiny bundle of fur and nuzzled its little head with her nose, "She's adorable. I love her, Harry."

Harry smiled as he scratched the kittens’ head. "I'm glad. I don't know what sort of cat you wanted, but Sirius described all the cats they had and this one sounded best. He said she was the smart one, not sure how he determined that, but I figured only the smartest kitten would do for you." He grinned at her, "Now, all you need to do is name her."

Hermione decided to think on the name, it had to be perfect.

Cake came next. Dobby was, once again, a genius with deserts. It was the best cake she had ever eaten.

The group talked and listened to music for a time and started to leave just before dinner would be served. Harry and Hermione were the last to leave.

"Thank you, Harry. No one has ever thrown me a birthday party before. How did you find this room? It's amazing."

"You're welcome. I had to do something special for my girlfriend." He squeezed her hand before bending to pick up her new bag, that they had managed to get all of her other gifts into. Hermione carried the kitten's basket. "Dobby actually suggested the room. He was talking to one of the castle's Elves and she thought we could give the room a try. Apparently, it can be just about anything you can imagine. I haven't tried it out beyond your birthday party room though."

"We should try it next weekend."

Harry bit his lip. "Hermione," she turned her attention back to him, "Next weekend is the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year and I was wondering if you would do me the honor of being my date?"

Hermione grinned, "I had completely forgotten it was the first Hogsmeade weekend next week. Of course I will go with you, Harry."

He smiled shyly and leaned in slowly. He kissed her cheek, something he hadn't had the courage to do yet, and pulled back blushing. She blushed and hugged the basket a bit tighter. This had been the best birthday of her life.

**Potions Lab 5**

Severus Snape was in his element. He had a larger quantity of rare ingredients than he had ever hoped to have at his disposal. There were currently six potions in various stages of completion in the lab.

On the far table was stage three of the Wolfsbane potion, it was progressing perfectly.

He was also working on a potion to combat the nerve pain caused by the Cruciatus curse; he had a strong sense of foreboding that it would be needed in the near future. The current potion used for this purpose was far from effective. He remembered quite clearly the painful spasms caused by the torture spell.

The most recent batch of the energy potion he had invented for Remus over the summer was near completion, it just needed to simmer for another half hour and then cool.

Severus was not pleased with his current attempt to strengthen the pain reliever. In his attempts to avoid addictive qualities the potion had turned too acidic, so acidic that it was actually poisonous. He could attempt to counter the acidity but the only safe counters would negate the pain relief portion of the potion. It was quite vexing.

The potion in front of him was something different entirely. He was attempting to find a cure to one of Dolohov's most terrifying curses. Dolohov was sadistic and had invented a number of ridiculously disturbing curses. The one he was trying to cure was a slow acting curse that attacked the body's nervous system one piece at a time. It was a painful way to go that started in much the same way as the Cruciatus, painful spasms, and eventually killed off the nerves. By the end the individual would not be able to hold their head up. They would be in constant agony until their body stopped functioning. He wasn't sure how this potion was progressing as of yet as he was in the very early stages.

Severus stretched as he put the potion in stasis. It would sit for 13 days before he could continue. He walked to his filing cabinet and reached for his notes on his research on the cure to Lycanthropy, but stopped. It wasn't looking promising and he didn't have the patience to work on it at the moment. Instead, he pulled out his work dedicated to research on the Dark Lord.

He had been searching his memory for anything that might lead to information on his Horcruxes. So far, he was stuck on the fact that the Dark Lord had given the most attention to Bellatrix Lestrange and, while he was healthy, Abraxas Malfoy. Severus had come to the conclusion that Lucius had only gotten ahold of the Horcrux because of his father's death. He seriously doubted he would have given it to the Weasley girl had he known that it had once belonged to the Dark Lord.

The Dark Lord had had an odd obsession with the house of Black. He was driven to gaining the whole set. He had Bellatrix and Regulus, but he knew he would never get Andromeda or Sirius. The older generation would not join until the younger generation did. The Dark Lord didn't like ultimatums. He had planned to kill the ones who would not join him as marked followers. Then he would have access to all the knowledge held by the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. It was for this reason he had been so displeased when Narcissa had refused his mark. Severus winced at the memory of Narcissa collapsing on the ground, screaming in pain because the Dark Lord had cast the Cruciatus curse on her. Unbidden, the memory of her coming to him a few days later, devastated at the loss of her child. She’d had few friends back then. She still had few friends. Lucius had been his initial contact with the Dark Lord, so he spent a great deal of time at Malfoy Manor. Due to their ages, he and Narcissa had more in common than most would think. They had shared much with each other during that dark time.

Would the Dark Lord have gifted Regulus with a Horcrux?

Severus shook his head. He had already decided that he should focus on locations he would hide them, not who he would trust with them. The only problem was; he didn't know much about the Dark Lord beyond that he claimed to be the Heir of Slytherin and he wanted to rule the wizarding world. As far as Severus knew, the Dark Lord didn't even have a manor house; he always used the homes of his inner circle. They had used Malfoy Manor only once. Mulciber, Avery, Nott and Lestrange Manors were the regular locations for their meetings. But he didn't stay there.

Perhaps he should approach one of the original members and see if they would share any details of the Dark Lord with him. Of course, he doubted any of them would trust him. He was named Dumbledore's spy after all. Severus knew he could claim that he continued to spy in hopes that one day all he had learned would be of use for the Dark Lord's inevitable return. But would they believe him? Severus was almost certain they would require some sort of offering to prove he was still their man. What could he possibly offer them?

Nothing he was willing to give them.

Perhaps he could approach the Goblins. They might have a property on record and as they took the creation of Horcruxes as a mortal insult they might just aid him.

He thought back to the meeting he had had with Master Holgrind a few weeks before. They had asked to meet with him to discuss how he had managed to destroy the diary Horcrux.

_"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Potions Master Snape," the Goblin had said after the customary greetings. "We would like to first of all thank you for destroying that abomination of magic. My superiors would greatly appreciate the details of exactly how you managed the feat; Horcruxes are absurdly hard to destroy and we would like to see if this is a viable way to deal with them in the future."_

_Severus nodded deeply, "I did only what a Head of House should do in destroying that monstrous book. I will tell you all I can about the method; I am honestly unsure why my method worked so perhaps your input will shed some light on that."_

_"Please begin, I will ask questions as I have them."_

_"I suppose I should start from the moment I realized the diary was the reason young Mister Riddle was gaining a body and the Weasley girl was dying. I attempted to destroy it magically with what would generally destroy a book and move to progressively more destructive spells. Nothing worked. I briefly considered Fiend Fire, but with the energy I had wasted on the Basilisk and other spells to destroy the book I did not think I could control it, which would have killed those I was trying to protect."_

_He sighed, "I don't know why I reached for the knife, but I did. I plunged it into the diary and it screamed and bled ink. Somehow the blade, infused with refined snake venom, destroyed the Horcrux."_

_"Would I be able to look at a memory of that?"_

_"Of course," Severus pulled a silver strand of memory from his head and placed it into a vial the Goblin was holding out._

_"Thank you, Potions Master Snape. What kind of venom was the blade imbued with?"_

_"That is hard to say. I was given a supply of the Dark Lord's familiar's venom to use in my research. In research I have done since the fall of the Dark Lord, I concluded that Nagini was at one time an Eastern Green Mamba. They are highly venomous and can kill a man with a single bite; Nagini, however, is not like a normal snake anymore. She is his familiar, but also something more."_

_"How do you mean? A Mamba's venom should not be potent enough to destroy a Horcrux. As far as our research is concerned, the only animal product capable is Basilisk Venom. It is also thought that certain types of Dragons can produce fire hot enough to destroy them but that is untested in some cases."_

_"A normal familiar bond links the wizard and animal. This link is mostly mental, but there is a small transference of magic that generally only lengthens the life of the animal. Nagini, however, was experimented on extensively. He performed a number of rituals on Nagini and himself, connecting them further than most would dare. I believe the Dark Lord is basically immune to most snake venom now and Nagini is highly spell resistant."_

_Severus rolled his neck to relieve the tension. "The Dark Lord, being a Parselmouth, searched the world for the most poisonous snakes in the world. He started experimenting on the snakes, putting them through rituals and forcing them to face highly dangerous magical tests. After each trial fewer snakes survived. It was suggested by those closest to him that were involved in advanced research, that the snakes that survived the longest were the ones that showed a connection to the Dark Lord. In the end, only Nagini survived. It was then he started connecting her to himself."_

_"Do you have a sample of the venom our researchers could examine?"_

_"I have a small vial I would be willing to part with; I will bring it to you tomorrow."_

_"Thank you, Potions Master Snape." The Goblin steeped his fingers, "I do have a theory about the reason the venom worked, though it is only a theory. While it may be possible that the venom was made potent enough through the experimentation, I believe it has more to do with the fact that Nagini and Riddle were connected in a bond stronger than that of a familiar." The Goblin paused, gauging his reaction, "There is a little-known fact that the easiest way for a Horcrux to be destroyed is for the creator to reject the soul piece and vessel. This is not something that happens, but all it would take is an intentional attack on the vessel using any means that would normally harm the item the vessel was. It is my theory that the diary was destroyed because the venom of his familiar attacked the vessel, which in essence was him rejecting his Horcrux."_

_"It is an interesting theory and I can see your reasoning. Each is likely."_

_"We should have a better idea after testing, but rumor has it you have a large supply of Basilisk venom so I would suggest using that if ever you come across one in the future, or you could bring it to Gringotts so that we might cleanse the item."_

It had been a good meeting and he thought Master Holgrind and himself had come to respect one another on a certain level. Yes, he would approach the Goblins and see if they could point him in the direction of a property that the Dark Lord owned, it would be the most secure place to hide a Horcrux after all.

**Defense Classroom, Friday October 29th**

"Good afternoon, class," Professor Lupin greeted his third year Gryffindor and Slytherin class. "Today we are going to skip ahead a few lessons as I came across the creature in the castle the other day." He looked around the room, "who can tell me what a Boggart is?"

He pointed to Tracey Davis. "A Boggart is a shape changer."

"And what does a Boggart look like?"

This time it was Neville who answered, "No one knows what Boggarts really look like. When they are seen they are in the form of your greatest fear."

"Does anyone know what Boggart's greatest weakness is?"

"Laughter," Hermione answered.

"Correct, now the incantation to get rid of a Boggart is not difficult. All you need to do is point your wand at the Boggart and say Riddikulus. The challenge comes when you are facing your fear. You have to somehow turn your greatest fear into something funny." He looked at all of their faces, he could see some of them understood what they would be doing, others did not know.

"Today we will be facing the Boggart I have stored in a cupboard. The smartest way to face a Boggart is in groups. Can anyone tell me why?"

"Because," Draco said with a superior tone, "it won't know which form to take, no two people have the same fear."

"Correct. Now, I know that fears can be very private and, for some people, traumatic. I am giving you the option of facing the Boggart with a group of your friends or alone." He looked around again and saw he had gauged that correctly. The relief on some of their faces was rewarding. "Please discuss with someone you trust if you wish to go in groups as we head toward the room the Boggart is being held. Take all of your things, we won't be coming back."

The group made their way through the castle, quiet conversations happening as they went. Some were contemplating what they actually feared, others were attempting to figure out how to make their fears amusing.

Professor Lupin stopped outside a door none of them had entered before. "This is an unused class room that some pranksters I knew in school commandeered. They left some things behind and a Boggart moved into the cupboard." He saw some speculative looks, but for the most part he saw focus or fear. "Now is everyone prepared for their turns? Is there anyone who would like to go with a group who doesn't have one?" He thought he saw a few students shuffle their feet but no one said anything. "Would anyone like to volunteer to go first?"

Harry, Hermione, Neville and Fay stepped forward as one. He wasn't surprised. "Alright, please wait out here, I will know if you do anything you shouldn't. Trust me, my friends were the worst troublemakers you would have ever met."

He closed the door behind the four. "Alright, do you all know the incantation?" The group nodded. "Who wants to go first?"

"I'm going first," Harry said firmly. "Neville is going second, followed by Hermione and then Fay."

Remus nodded, "Alright, front and center, Harry. Wand at the ready. Remember, make it funny and cast firmly."

Harry stood in front of the cupboard, his shoulder square, his wand held tightly. The door opened and out walked Voldemort. He saw the face that had been on the back of Quirrell's head, but this time there was no Quirrell. He laughed menacingly and pointed his wand at Harry. The tip of the wand glowed green.

"Riddikulus," he stated firmly. Where Voldemort stood a moment before was the visage of a bumbling Gilderoy Lockhart running from Cornish Pixies. Harry snorted.

Neville stepped forward and Gilderoy Lockhart faded. Neville had thought for a fleeting second that his Boggart would be Snape, but he was different now. Harry was his friend and Snape was different too. When a woman with wild black curls walked toward him cackling, he almost faltered. He had completely forgotten his fear of that woman.

Bellatrix Lestrange pointed her wand at him, "Want to join your parents in St. Mungo's little boy. Cruci…"

"Riddikulus." Bellatrix Lestrange turned into the Divination teacher. Her eyes huge and bloodshot under those thick glasses. Neville had thought her utterly ridiculous when Lavender had pointed her out.

Hermione readied herself. Professor Trelawney morphed into Professor McGonagall at her sternest. "I am sorry, Miss Granger but you have failed all of your classes. That means that you are no longer welcome at Hogwarts. You will be Obliviated and returned to the muggle world."

She froze. She couldn't go back. Magic was everything. She couldn't leave her friends. Harry. Her eyes flew to Harry. He stared at her with determination and confidence. He nodded.

Hermione turned back to her nightmare Professor McGonagall and pointed her wand, "Riddikulus." The stern Transfiguration teacher morphed into a cat and started to chase a ball of yarn.

Fay shuffled forward.

The Boggart cat turned into Fay. Boggart Fay looked up and above her there was a full moon. She began to change; her body elongating and growing fur. Moments later the newly transformed werewolf charged at where her friends stood. Fay couldn't move. She collapsed on the ground as the werewolf tore into an image of Hermione, ripping her throat open. Then she jumped on Harry.

Remus jumped in front of the Boggart and it instantly changed. Before the image could completely form, he cast the spell and it blasted toward the cupboard, the door slamming shut behind it.

He was on his knees, holding the shaking girl in his arms a moment later. "I've got you, little Faolan. That is never going to happen." She trembled in his arms; her eyes unfocused.

"Fay," Harry crouched down next to them, placing a hand on Fay's back. "You're never going to hurt us."

"You don't know that," she said in a tiny voice.

"Yes, we do." Hermione and Neville stood behind her. "We know you, Fay and we know that Moony would never let you do anything that would hurt the pack." She looked to Remus, "Is there a second way out of here? I don't think the rest of the class should see her like this."

Remus gestured toward the bookshelf in the corner. "Pull the pea green book on the third shelf, the bookcase will swing out." He kissed the top of Fay's head, "My Faolan, go with the others, I have to get to the rest of the class, but I will come for you after. Alright?"

She nodded and allowed herself to be pulled into Hermione's arms.

Remus watched Neville, Hermione and Fay exit. Harry trailed after them. "We'll be on the seventh floor in the room we had Hermione's birthday party." Then he too was gone.

The Defense professor sighed. He was so glad he had decided to keep this exercise to small groups of the student's choosing. Displaying their fears to the entire class could have been devastating.

He walked to the door and put a forced smile on his face. "Who's next?" and the class continued.

**Come and Go Room, October 31st**

Had Hermione not been so concerned for her friends, she would have admired the change in the room. For her birthday it had been round and grand. After Defense class two days before it had looked like one of the rooms at Grimmauld Place. Today, the anniversary of the death of Harry's Parents, it was designed like a mix between the common room and a family room. There was a roaring fire with pictures of his parents surrounding it. They sat or lounged on comfortable couches with warm blankets wrapped around them.

Harry was sitting beside her, leaning his weight against her, his head on her shoulder. It warmed her heart that Harry would trust her to hold him up.

Fred and George were sitting on pillows at their feet. They could have chosen to sit on the arm chairs a bit farther away but had declined, claiming that Harry needed family close at hand.

Neville had joined them. He understood Harry's sadness better than any of their friends, he lost his parents almost as thoroughly as Harry. He sat on the arm chair to Harry's right, staring blankly into the flames.

Fay was sleeping on the other couch. She was utterly exhausted. Last night had been the full moon. It had gone well by all accounts. Fay and Faolan seemed to be bonding, and according to Fay, Faolan liked the human members of the pack very much. Fay couldn't hear Faolan outside the transformation yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time.

They were lucky. For reasons Hermione would never understand, Parvati had set her alarm to wake herself up extremely early that day and had noticed the absence of Fay. Hermione was able to play it off with 'that time of the month.' Parvati had immediately understood and had given a number of suggestions on what helped with the cramping and moodiness. Apparently, chocolate was the key to a number of physical and emotional problems.

Remus was the last member of their group. He was there for two reasons. The first, well, at least the first he mentioned to the staff, was to watch over the children helping Harry honor his parents. The true reason for his attendance, however, was he, like Harry, could not celebrate Halloween. It was too painful to watch the rest of the wizarding world enjoy the holiday when his thoughts were constantly on the missing members of his family.

The group was ignoring the other news of the day. Fenrir Greyback had struck again last night. Once again, he had attacked a small town in Britain. He was moving North with every attack now. This time he had found a wizarding town and somehow had managed to break through some wards. No one was bitten, but 13 were killed. Experts theorized that there were actually two werewolves terrorizing the village last night. It was horrifying to think that someone else would follow that monster.

All in all, that made four total, brutal attacks by Greyback in a year.

"I have an idea," Fred said suddenly.

George shared a long, silent conversational look with his brother and nodded. "Good idea, Forge."

"Thank you, dear Gred. I think," he continued in a sober tone, "that we should do something to honor those who were lost in the last war."

"Every year, on this day, we will state our new goal for the coming year."

"Like New Year's resolutions?" asked Fay with a yawn.

"Yeah, only these should be less about personal goals and more about how we can make things better for others." George smiled softly.

The group turned their attention to Harry, waiting for his response.

He tore his eyes from a picture of his parents holding him while waving at the camera. "What would your goal be, Fred?"

Fred looked Harry in the eye, "My goal for the year is to help my baby sister. She needs me. Her mental stability is fragile and I want to help her return to the happy girl I used to know."

"George?" Harry inquired.

"I am going to help Fred with his goal, but I would like to dedicate my task for the coming year to aiding Ron. He is doing better but I still think he needs to find his own identity. He tends to attach himself to someone and define himself as their friend. Ron needs to find what it means to be Ron."

Harry nodded.

"Neville, why don't you go next?" Hermione smiled softly at the boy.

"My goal is going to be a long-term goal. I want to find a way to help my parents, or at the very least a way to prevent others from turning out like they did."

"That is an excellent goal, Neville." Remus spoke softly, "Perhaps you should talk to Professor Snape. I believe he was planning on starting some research into potions to combat exposure to the Cruciatus curse." He looked at the rest of the group, his eyes landing on Fay last, "My goal for the year is to do what I have avoided for far too long. I am going to deal with Greyback once and for all."

Hermione gripped Harry's hand tightly, "My goal is also going to be long term. I am going to begin working toward making the magical world equal for all. Someday, I will make it illegal for people to discriminate against people due to their circumstances. No one will be able to deny a muggle-born, werewolf or squib a job. House Elves will not be abused. Centaurs will be allowed to live as they please."

"That is a perfect goal for you, Hermione," Fred grinned. He knew she could do it too.

"What about you, Harry?" George squeezed his knee.

"I want to become an animagus for Fay."

"Did Padfoot suggest that?" Remus asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harry shook his head, "No, I actually started thinking about it after Fay's Boggart on Friday. Her fears aren't unfounded, but if I was an animagus she would never have to fear turning me or killing me. You said the wolf almost ignores regular animals."

Fay stared at him with wide eyes.

Remus smiled softly. "It won't be easy and it may take a while."

"I know, but I think it will be worth it."

"I'll tell Sirius to pull his and James's notes from when they tried."

"Thank you, Remus."

Fay walked over and plopped down onto the couch next to Harry, leaving him sandwiched between her and Hermione. She wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Thank you."

Harry wrapped an arm around her and squeezed, "I would do anything for Family."

**Quidditch Pitch**

Hermione bit her lip as she gripped Neville's hand in hers. She heard him gasp in pain as she squeezed harder but she couldn't loosen her grip. If she did, she would probably fall apart.

She really hated quidditch.

It was the first match of the season and it was a miserable day. Weather in Scotland was never beautiful this time of year, but a day like this was still not the norm. It was pouring, the clouds were thick, it was cold and she could hear thunder in the distance. The only reason she could see anything was because the uniforms were so very different from the gloom.

Gryffindor was winning, their chaser line was better than the Slytherin one, and Oliver was a better keeper too. All in all, the Gryffindor team was better, but the wind and rain were making it difficult even for them. The quaffle kept getting blown off course when they passed so they had to rely on short passes or handing off the ball. The bludgers were hard to see, the black mixing in well with the gloomy half-light.

The seekers were huddled and keeping closer to the general playing field. It was a very different match this year. Neither Harry, nor Draco looked interested in trying to faint in this weather.

Suddenly, they dived. She couldn't see the snitch, but she knew it was there. She also knew that it would be over soon. Harry would not want to continue playing in this; he had told her that before the game.

The snitch must have changed directions as the seekers were now traveling up, straight up. There was a flash of lightning followed by booming thunder.

Lavender and Parvati gasped beside her.

When her sight cleared from being temporarily blinded by the bright light, she saw Harry.

Harry was falling, plummeting to the ground, his broom nowhere in sight. Draco diving after him, reaching.

"HARRY!"


	14. Something New

He was falling. The ground was coming toward him and there was nothing to break his fall.

He screamed; he knew he did. His back was singed; he was fairly certain his broom had caught on fire when the lightning hit it.

The ground was coming up fast.

He closed his eyes…

Harry shot up out of bed with a gasp. His breathing heavy.

He looked around him, everything was blurry but he thought it was probably nighttime. Reaching out, he searched for the bedside table and his glasses. He found them to his right, slid the wire frames over his face and blinked.

The Hospital wing.

It was dark, he had no idea what time it was but he did know that most people would be asleep. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair.

He had fallen from his broom. He had never fallen from his broom before, not even when Quirrell had been cursing it. It was kind of embarrassing. He shook his head; he didn't think anyone would fault him for being thrown from his broom after it was hit by lightning.

Why hadn't they called the game when the thunder storm started? Those couldn't be safe conditions for students to fly in.

Harry closed his hand into a fist. Maybe it didn't matter. He clearly remembered his hand closing over the elusive snitch before he started his death fall. The game had been over; he hadn't lost the match.

What had happened to his broom? He doubted it had survived being struck by lightning, and if it had it was definitely not in any condition to fly. He was glad he hadn't used his birthday present in the game.

Sirius had given him a Firebolt for his birthday. Harry had a quiet celebration with Sirius and Remus on his actual birthday. They had done nothing but bond. Sirius and Remus talked about his parents while Harry listened on, drinking up every word like a man lost in the desert when he found water. Remus had gifted him memories. Memories of his parents from himself and many of the other people his parents had known. Sirius had given him things from his past. His favorite toys as a child, his father's favorite shirt, his mother's favorite book.

Then, of course, he had given Harry a new broom. Harry loved his Firebolt, but he didn't want to use it in games just yet. He wanted to prove he didn't need the fastest broom in the world to win. He guessed he had proven that, he just killed his broom to do it, but that had nothing to do with the broom and everything to do with the weather.

Harry looked up at the sound of a door opening. Madam Pomfrey walked toward him looking far more alert then she should at this hour.

"I see you have woken up, Mister Potter. I really would prefer it if you didn't grace this hall with your presence one of these days. Or at least keep it to illness next time. I don't like continually patching you up."

"Sorry, Madam Pomfrey. If it makes you feel any better no one tried to kill me this time."

"No, your broom just got struck by lightning sending you careening towards the ground at top speed. They really should call games off in such weather. It is a miracle that no one else ended up here. I remember one game that sent four players to my beds because they couldn't grip their brooms properly."

"I was just wondering that myself." He smiled crookedly at her. "Did my broom have a good death?"

"Went up in flames as it fell. Then the wind carried it toward that blasted willow, which smashed it to pieces."

Harry nodded sagely. "At least it wasn't me."

"Too right, Mister Potter. Now, when you fell, you were lucky enough that some of your professors aren't complete idiots. Professors Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick all cast spells to slow your fall and cushion your landing. Headmaster Dumbledore also aided in the attempt and when you finally hit the ground you were lowered there; you had no damage from the fall on your person."

"So, why was I unconscious?"

"That, Mister Potter, was from the broom and lightning strike. When the lightning struck your broom's tail it blasted you forward due to the force of the impact. Your uniform caught fire so you had burns on your back. During your fall, and before the broom was blown away, it smashed into the back of your head giving you a concussion. When the broom was torn from your left hand it wrenched your wrist and caused some damage to your ligaments and tendons in your fingers. I kept you under to relieve you of feeling the pain while the potions did their work."

"I assume you have already fixed the damage?"

"Why of course, Mister Potter. I am the expert here, and I have become quite practiced at healing you."

"How long am I in for?"

"I will release you in the morning. My only condition is to take it easy with that wrist and hand. The ligaments and tendons will be a bit weak for about a week. I want you to go slowly and stop if anything starts to hurt in your wrist."

"I can do that. It helps that I am right-handed."

"That it does, Mister Potter. Now, get some sleep. I'll be releasing you after breakfast."

"Good night, Madam Pomfrey."

"Good night, Mister Potter."

…

The next time Harry woke he wasn't alone. Sitting on the bed beside him was not the person he would have expected.

"Hello, Harry."

"I'm surprised you didn't choke on my name, Draco."

"I've been practicing."

"So, did I remember right? Did I catch the snitch before I fell?"

Draco sighed, "Unfortunately, yes, you did catch the snitch."

Harry grinned, "Sorry."

Draco shrugged, "You flew better. You deserved the win."

"I get the feeling I should be saying thank you."

"Why?"

"I've got this odd image of you flying after me while I was falling. Were you trying to catch me?"

The blond boy looked at his feet, "Mother would be cross with me if I let you fall."

"You could have killed yourself by trying to catch me."

Draco shrugged, "Seemed like the thing to do at the time."

"Thank you, especially because that was the most boneheaded, Gryffindor act I have ever seen you perform."

"You're welcome, I guess, even though that was rather insulting." Draco bit his lip. "What are you going to do about your broom? Rumor is it didn't make it."

"Sirius got me a Firebolt for my birthday. I'll just use that for the next game."

Draco held up a hand, shock written on his face. "Wait a second, are you telling me that you own a Firebolt, the best broom in the world, but you still used your Nimbus 2000?"

"Well, yeah. I wanted to prove to myself that I didn't need the newest, fastest broom to play."

Draco dropped his head into his hands, "I should take up chasing. At least as a chaser I will have a chance of beating my opponents." He shook his head, "I hate to admit it, Harry, but you are the best seeker in the school and the fact that you have a Firebolt just about wrapped the cup up for Gryffindor this year, and every year you play."

"Thanks, Draco."

"Well, I should get back to the common room before Greg and Vince wake up, Theo can only stall them for so long and I really don't want them asking where I've been."

"Wouldn't want your dad to know you’re talking to me without causing mental trauma, right?"

Draco nodded, "You've got that right. See you around, Harry."

"Bye, Draco." Harry shook his head. He and the blond Slytherin had the strangest relationship.

Moments later, Madam Pomfrey arrived with a tray of food for him. "Eat up, Mister Potter."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey."

She smiled as she walked away.

He looked up from his bowl of porridge to see Remus entering the ward. His uncle didn't say a word as he handed a mirror to Harry.

"Harry, are you alright? Where are you? I'm on my way."

"Calm down, Sirius. I'm alright. Madam Pomfrey said she would release me after breakfast."

Sirius took a deep breath, "You're sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I just have to take it slow with my wrist and hand to allow my tendons and ligaments in my left wrist and fingers to build up their strength."

"What about the game?"

"I caught the snitch before I fell."

"Nice one, Prongslet. Your broom?"

"The Nimbus caught on fire and then had a run in with the Whomping Willow."

Sirius winced. "Well, at least it wasn't your Firebolt."

"Yeah, I liked that broom. It got me through a lot of great games. I'll miss it. But now I get to use my Firebolt."

"I can see you are excited about that." Harry just grinned. "Well I guess I should let you go for now. Just promise me you'll be careful and don't forget our mirror call later tonight, okay?"

"You've got it, Padfoot."

"Talk to you later, Pup."

The mirror image of Sirius faded and it became a regular mirror again. "What time did he wake you up?"

Remus laughed softly, "About four this morning. I convinced him that you would be sleeping then and that he should wait until at least eight. I knew he would, conveniently, cut an hour from that time so I said eight instead of the seven, which was when I planned on coming in to check on you."

"Thank you, Moony."

Remus bent down to hug the boy, "You are welcome, Cub." He breathed in deep, the smell of his cub making him feel better. "You really had me worried."

"How is everyone else?"

"Hermione and Fay were not handling it well last night; Hermione had screamed herself hoarse watching you fall. I am actually surprised they aren't here already. I suspect that Neville, and the other boys are holding the girls off. The chasers and Oliver weren't much better. Percy was able to keep Oliver occupied but I think Angelina hexed Fred."

Harry smirked slightly, "Yeah, that sounds like the team." He opened his mouth to continue, but his words were drowned out by the crowd of students that marched into the ward.

Hermione and Fay weren't marching for long, the moment they saw him awake they were running across the ward. Harry was sandwiched between his brunette girlfriend and sister, both were crying.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, Harry James Potter," Hermione sobbed.

"I'll lock you in your room and take away all of your stuff if you make me cry again." Fay sounded like she had gotten her tears under control. She let go and leaned into Remus as the others joined them.

"Little brother," Fred said shaking his head, "You really shouldn't scare us like that."

"We know a certain Grim Marauder that would be devastated if anything happened to you. Not to mention Bill would probably kill us."

Angelina shook her head, "What they are trying to say, is that we are glad you're okay."

"And," Alicia added, "you should be more careful."

Harry put his best innocent face on and said, "But Oliver said to get the snitch or die trying."

As one, five girls whirled on the Gryffindor quidditch captain.

The look on his face was priceless, "But I… it wasn't meant as… I didn't think…"

Harry started laughing. Fred, George, Percy and Neville joined him. "Got you."

Oliver pointed a finger at him. "You know, if I didn't love you so much, I would hex you."

"Why is it, Mister Potter, that whenever you stay in my ward it always becomes a circus?" Madam Pomfrey stood, hands on hips tapping her foot.

"Sorry, Madam Pomfrey," the group, including Remus, said looking chastised.

"Good. Now as Mister Potter has finished eating and you are all here disturbing my space, I feel no remorse in releasing him. Just be sure to do as I told you, Mister Potter."

"I will follow your order diligently."

Madam Pomfrey stared at him for a moment with narrowed eyes, "Miss Granger," Hermione looked at the matron, "He is to take it easy for the rest of the day. His wrist and fingers will be weak for a few days so he should avoid any strenuous activity; watch his pain levels, if he appears to be in pain as opposed to being sore bring him to see me."

"I will, Ma'am."

"Good," she smiled at the girl, ignoring the look of exaggerated hurt on Harry's face, "Now, all of you, get out of here."

**Hogsmeade**

"So where are we going today?"

Harry smiled at his girlfriend as he led her through Hogsmeade, "I can't tell you that. It would ruin the surprise." It was the third Hogsmeade weekend of the year and their third official non-study date.

During their first Hogsmeade trip they hadn't actually done much in the village. Harry had arranged to take her on a picnic in a clearing Sirius suggested, just the two of them. They had talked and held hands and he had kissed her cheek, this time the kiss had been closer to her lips. It had been simple, easy and absolutely perfect.

The second Hogsmeade weekend, scheduled for the 30th and 31st of October, they explored the village, and hung out with their friends. Fay had been nervous all day because it was her second full moon. Hermione had spent a long time perusing the book store while Harry had liked the store that sold odds and ends.

Today, Harry was taking her to lunch. Sirius had made a reservation for him at Copper Spell, the restaurant he recommended once, and he had also arranged for there to be a single pale pink rose waiting for her. Hermione loved pink roses.

"Please, Harry?"

"No."

"But I feel very overdressed and that makes me feel silly and I don't like feeling silly."

"You're not overdressed, Angelina and Alicia approved."

"So they know where we are eating but I can't know?"

"They know because I knew you would freak out about what to wear. I told them so they could help you pick an outfit and assure you it was perfect for our date. You will know shortly."

"But if I am going to know shortly, why can't you just tell me so I stop freaking out?"

Harry stopped, turned and pulled her into a crushing hug. "I adore you, Hermione Granger. Please, don't ever change."

That shut her up. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck to hide her deep blush. "I'll be quiet now."

Harry kissed her cheek and grabbed her hand again, "I promise we are almost there."

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the restaurant. "Harry?"

He looked at her, a little bit of fear in his eyes, "Surprise?"

"You're taking me to the Copper Spell?"

"Is it too much?"

"Too expensive maybe. I can't be worth that. You shouldn't waste your money on extravagant dates. We could just go to the Three Broomsticks. Anywhere is good. Well, I don't really want to go to Madam Puddifoot's, but everywhere else is fine…"

"Are you disappointed?"

Hermione froze at the dejected sound of his voice. "No. No, I'm not disappointed. Surprised, overwhelmed, jumping for joy, but not disappointed." She took both of his hands in hers, "When Sirius told us that story about him following your parents around on their date, I secretly hoped that one day you would take me here. I hoped that, one day when we were older and more like your parents you would bring me here and we would have a fabulous time and we might even get to prank Sirius because he followed us too." She leaned forward, rising slightly on her toes, and kissed his cheek. "This is a dream date for me, Harry. It is a dream because it tells me that we are hoping for the exact same thing."

Harry smiled as he pulled her into another hug. He wanted to scream out his joy for all to hear. He and Hermione felt the same. They both hoped that what they had would last. It was the best feeling in the world to know that she understood what this place would symbolize for him. Hermione Granger was the perfect girlfriend. She understood him in a way that no one else did.

"Thank you for being my girlfriend."

"I don't think I could be anyone else's girlfriend, Harry."

He smiled brightly at her and grabbed her hand as he pulled out of her arms. "Shall we?"

"Lead the way."

The Copper Spell was beautiful. Polished wood, low, romantic lighting, intimate seating. Harry thought it had probably been redecorated a few times to keep it looking like a romantic upper-class restaurant.

They were led to their table instantly and Hermione gasped at the rose laying across her plate. "Harry."

"I had a little help with that. Dobby placed an Elf charm on it that will make it stay just as it is for as long as we are together, be it friends or something more."

Hermione held the sweet smelling rose to her nose and inhaled deeply. "It's my favorite kind of rose."

"I know."

"Why are you so good at this? I feel so out of my depth with the whole dating thing and we grew up with the same kind of experience with friends, meaning we didn't have any, and yet, you are really good at being my boyfriend."

They were sitting, not looking at their menus, "I don't need to be good with people to know how to be your boyfriend. I just need to know you. I know you would find Madam Puddifoot's to be absolutely ridiculous, which is good because I think all that pink is nauseating. I know you don't expect, nor do you want, expensive gifts, you much prefer things that mean something. You love books but love the idea of someone giving you flowers. You don't need to do something extravagant to have a good time, all you need is a good book or a close friend. I know you hate Quidditch, but you go to every game I play in just because I'm playing. Studying and doing well in class are important to you and you don't like admitting that you don't know something.

"Purple is your favorite color because it’s girly, but not too girly. You love cats but you also love dogs. Heights terrify you but you have always wondered what it would be like to have wings. You are brave beyond compare and the most loyal friend someone could ever hope for."

"Please, Harry, stop before you make me cry. Lavender will kill me if I ruin my make-up."

"Okay," he grinned and picked up his menu. "I don't know about you but I am excited about the food and plan on stuffing myself. I can eat a lite dinner if I'm actually hungry later."

Hermione couldn't help but smile.

Conversation came easily as they ate. They talked of everything and nothing at the same time. Classes, people, changes, memories.

They laughed about the 'traps' laid before them in first year; really the only one that would have been challenging was the troll and they had already managed one of those. Hermione wondered aloud if they were traps or tests. Harry didn't have an answer; he had a sinking suspicion there was more going on than they had realized.

The food was fantastic; Hermione said it might even be better than Dobby's cooking. Even though she said she was full, Harry insisted on ordering dessert, with two spoons. That too, was divine.

After leaving the restaurant, Harry took Hermione to the book store and told her to pick out a book, any book. It would be his gift to her. For once, she didn't put up too much of a fight. She just couldn't say no to books.

They ended their date by walking back through the village and sharing a carriage back to the castle. Ever the gentleman, at least on dates that is, Harry helped her in and out of the carriage. When they arrived at the castle, he insisted on escorting her all the way to the staircase leading to the third-year girl's dorm.

At the bottom of the stairs, Harry hugged her and then kissed her lightly on the cheek. Hermione clutched her book and rose to her chest and leaned in, placing a quick kiss on his lips. It was barely there and most would not consider it a kiss, but for Harry and Hermione, it was perfect. Both blushed all the way to their dorm rooms, smiles plastered on their faces.

**Gryffindor, Third Year Boy's Dorm**

"So, how did it go?"

Harry smiled widely. "Really good, Sirius. She loved it. I was right about her freaking out about the restaurant. I got kind of scared she didn't like it while she was freaking out, but it worked out and she secretly wanted me to take her there 'someday.' She imagined it as our special place."

"Prongslet, that is fantastic. That's what you called it right? Your special place."

"Yeah. She knows me so well. She knew I would latch onto this place, because you told me my parents went there, she knew I would think it was special."

"You sound happy, Prongslet."

"I am. I really can't wait to see you again, though."

"So, what else is going on in the world of Prongslet?"

"Just school and stuff. The Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw match is next weekend. My wrist feels great. School is going well. I think I am doing a lot better in class. I'm less confused at least." He scratched his head. "Oh, I have actually been meaning to talk to you about something."

"Talk away, Pup."

"Well, I'm sure you heard about the Boggart class from Uncle Remus?"

"Yes, I heard. How is Fay dealing with that?"

"Not well. But I had an idea that I think made her feel like maybe everything would work out." Sirius nodded, waiting for him to elaborate. "I thought about what you and dad did for Remus and I think that it would help Fay."

"Explain so I don't jump to conclusions."

"I want to become an animagus."

"I didn't suggest that." Sirius sounded like that statement was very important.

"No, I thought of it myself…"

"Make sure you tell Moony, if he asks, that I didn't suggest it. He made me promise I wouldn't."

Harry laughed softly, "I'll tell him if he asks, but I doubt he will; he was there when I told everyone I wanted to do it."

"Wait," Sirius said, outraged, "Moony knew and he didn't tell me?"

"I told him not to mention it because I wanted to talk to you about it. Will you help me?"

"Of course I will, Pup."

Harry bit his lip, "Would you mind helping some of the others too?"

"How many more are we talking about? This is challenging, Harry. It requires focus, determination and power. If Lavender said she wanted to, I really don't think she is mature enough to do this, she may never be. I wouldn't let Seamus, Dean or Parvati try either."

"I came up with the idea on Halloween. The twins suggested making goals every year, like New Year's resolutions, but dedicated to helping others. My goal was to become an animagus so I could help Fay. When they heard that Hermione, Neville and the Twins said they wanted to try to. Remus made sure we all understood that it was challenging, may take a long time, and that we may not be able to do it at all."

"If it is that group then I will help them too."

"You're the best, Padfoot. So how do I find out my form? What do you think my form will be? Is it hard to find your form? What decides your animal form?"

Sirius laughed loudly. He loved seeing Harry that excited. "I'll try to answer all of those. I don't know what your form is going to be. It is supposed to be a representation of what you are, the animal most like your inner self is what your form is supposed to be. Knowing you, someone who is dedicated to family, I would think a pack animal, so some sort of canine. I could also see you as a bird of prey due to your courage, honor and love of flying." He saw Harry was hanging on his every word.

"There are actually a few ways to find your form. The most challenging is through meditation. It involves connecting with your core and opening yourself to the primal instinct within yourself; this way generally takes the longest. There is a potion. The potion puts you into a trance that leads you to your animal. This way can be very disorienting and making the potion itself is challenging. The safest way to find your form is through a ritual."

"I thought rituals were illegal."

"No, they aren't illegal, blood magic is considered illegal but rituals are not; they're frowned upon by some but there is nothing wrong with them. I am going to suggest you do this through the ritual because it is safer. To do it through the ritual you have to use a specially designed ritual room inside Gringotts. Only those of the old families are aware of the room and only heads of those houses have access to it so very few use this method."

"Is it hard?"

"Not really. You just have to memorize a few lines and allow yourself to be tested by the wild magics."

Harry nodded, "Okay. What happens after you find your form"?

"When you find your form, you need to learn everything you can about the animal. You study it and connect with that portion of yourself and slowly give yourself over to the primal. You will change a bit at a time. Some people can change parts of themselves easily but struggle with other parts; I was terrible with the tail. Some people struggle to get any sort of change at first then find everything relatively easy once they find out what was blocking them in the first place. Once your dad finally got his hoof transformed, he had no trouble with changing any part of himself."

"When can we start?"

"We could go to Gringotts over the Yule holiday but I think we should wait until summer."

Harry deflated slightly.

"I say that, Harry, because I don't want anyone trying to transform without me around. You should never attempt transformations without someone experienced there to help you. Your dad and I were lucky we didn't get stuck or kill ourselves."

"What about Easter Holiday? That would give us time to research our animals and start right away when we get home at the end of the school year."

Sirius considered this; it wasn't a bad plan. "I will agree to that as long as I have everyone's word before we do the ritual."

Harry grinned broadly. Sirius realized, not for the first time, that he would do anything to keep that smile on his Pup's face.

**Office of the Minister For Magic, November 30th**

Amelia Bones was at a loss. Sometimes she wondered how Cornelius Fudge managed to be elected into office, let alone hold that office. Today was one of those days.

She had given her report about the Greyback attacks and their theory on his intended target. At the scene of his latest attack the night before he had left something behind. There was a picture of Harry Potter, with his guardian Sirius Black and family friend Remus Lupin. That picture had been strategically damaged. In the picture Mister Potter's head was no longer attached to his body. Sirius Black had his heart removed and Mister Lupin looked to be quartered. With the blood staining the picture it was a decent clue as to whom Greyback was targeting.

The only question was: Why?

It was Fudge’s reaction to said news that confused her. He and his Senior Undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge, had decided that the only way to protect Mister Potter, and the Defense Teacher, was to place Dementors around the grounds of Hogwarts.

"Cornelius, the Dementors should never be allowed around children."

"It is for their protection, Amelia."

"They have no experience with Greyback. The Dementors won't even know who it is they are after. We don't have Greyback's magical signature on record because he always attacks physically. Giving them his jaw and paw size isn't going to do anything."

"They can sense malicious intent."

"While that may be true, Dementors prefer to feast on joy. They were designed to torture their victims by removing every happy memory before killing them."

"Hem, hem," Umbridge interjected, attempting to sound sweet. "I am sure Greyback has happy memories."

"I'm not saying he doesn't, only that when attacking, he won't be thinking of the joys of his past, he will be thinking about ripping a 13-year-old boy to pieces."

"Which the Dementors will sense, we will have them focus on malicious intent."

"What if Greyback attacks on the full moon, as is most likely? We do not know how a Dementor would affect the werewolf mind. The Unspeakables theorize that Dementors don't affect animals the same way as humans because their minds are simpler than ours to begin with. If he does attack on the full moon, they probably won't have any debilitating effect on him."

"Werewolves are not the same as regular animals, Amelia. They are more intelligent."

"Really, Dolores? That isn't what you said when you pushed through that last law restricting werewolves."

Umbridge scowled, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"You know exactly what I am talking about. You need to be careful to keep track of what you say, Dolores, if you're not, then more people will realize that you don't even believe what you're selling."

"Ladies, this isn't the time. Amelia, I appreciate your concern but it has been decided. I am sending Dementors to guard the grounds of Hogwarts. I will personally ensure they can't get on the grounds unless they are apprehending Greyback.”

Amelia gave a curt nod, her irritation evident, and walked out of the office without another word.

"Dolores, we have talked about your temper and changing your view to fit the situation. I can't be connected to someone who doesn't stand by their word. If you don't watch what you say, I may have to transfer you to a different office to remove the possible liability you may become."

**Somewhere in England, December 1st**

"You will not find him here, child. Once he has attacked, he does not stick around."

She turned and studied the older woman. "I am aware. I am merely trying to find the reason and target for these attacks." She refused to show fear. "Fenrir Greyback does not usually make himself such a big target for the British Ministry of Magic."

The older woman nodded, "You're not wrong. He has only ever done something like this once and that was because someone angered him greatly."

"So, he is throwing a temper tantrum?"

She snorted. "I would have never thought to use those words to describe Fenrir's actions, but they are accurate."

"Can you tell me who he is targeting?"

"I can guess."

"What would you say your chances of an accurate guess are?"

"I have known Fenrir most of my life. I knew him before I was turned, loved him before I begged him to turn me, when I was still just a girl pretending to be a woman." She frowned at the young girl. "He was not always like he is now."

"He is evil."

"Now, perhaps he is. But back then, no he wasn't. Fenrir was always unforgiving and more than a little wild but he wasn't hell bent on causing pain and misery. When I met him, a girl of twelve, he was already a werewolf. He was fourteen and could not remember a time when he wasn't tied to the moon. His parents were werewolves; I don't know if he was one of the rare ones born with the gift or if his parents turned him before his memory, but all he knew was the moon."

She didn't think she would consider it a gift but let that slide, "Is it rare for the curse to be passed on through birth?"

"Yes, it is. None of my three children were born werewolves. None of the children I have seen born in the pack were born that way. All were turned around their fifth birthday." She chuckled. "Don't be so surprised girly, the Ministries don't know much about pack life because we don't share much, even in America."

"How did you know I went to America?"

"I can smell it on you. I can smell many packs on you, yet you belong to none. Why is that?"

"You know why."

"Actually, I don't. I know why the Irish pack wouldn't take you, but not why the American packs wouldn't."

"I do not belong there." She glared at the woman, demanding they drop the topic. "You were going to tell me what that monster is up to."

"Yes, I was. Fenrir changed over time. For a long time, he and I were mates, werewolves generally mate for life so I thought we would be together forever. But that changed. I'm still not entirely sure what caused the change. When he changed, he started changing children to see what they would do on their own. He always went back, years later, to evaluate them. Most he took simply because they were children of the moon, some he took because they impressed him. On rare occasions, the werewolf he left as a child had joined another; that generally didn't bother him.

"On one occasion, a strong, vibrant werewolf refused his invitation because he was preparing to join the pack of the woman he loved. Fenrir wanted the boy because he had great potential, but he would not follow Fenrir. That was when my love started attacking without thought or mercy. He attacked every full moon for a year; killing any and all he chose and each full moon brought him closer to his target's residence. In the end, Fenrir and the boy met on a battlefield, only Fenrir survived."

"So someone else refused to join him?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"Do you know who it is?"

"By his northern path, I can make a very good guess. I believe he is going after someone who would have never been able to say yes. When this one was bitten, he was a child, no older than the children born to the packs when we turn them."

"How do you know this?"

"It became my responsibility to ensure that the newly turned did not get caught on their first moon. If I am right, then he went after a boy who was destined to be an Alpha. He only needed to find his pack to see it. Fenrir came back from one of his inviting trips seething with rage. Then he started this. I could only assume that he was punishing one who refused to bow to him."

"What is his final destination?"

"If I am correct; Hogwarts."

"A school? There is an Alpha living at the school?"

The woman smiled. "There is an Alpha teaching at the school."

"The parents approved this?"

"He remains unregistered, just as you are. That is part of the reason Fenrir likes him so much. The man has a Mastery in Defensive Magics and has an incredibly respectable job. Fenrir would want access to the children at the school, to know where all those magical children live so he could scout the best individuals to turn."

"That's monstrous."

"I will not deny that. I do not condone the actions he takes anymore, but there is nothing I can do about it. He is my Alpha and I love him despite what he has become. You do not have an Alpha, you would not know what it means, what it feels like, to have an Alpha. You cannot refuse a direct order, either your denial or your Alpha would kill you."

She knew she didn't know what it felt like. She had avoided Greyback's territory for the sole purpose of avoiding him. She didn't want to become part of his pack. "What is his name?"

"Who?"

"The one who refused Greyback."

"Ah, yes, that was what we were talking about wasn't it. Remus. His name is Remus Lupin."

**Hogsmeade, December 11th**

Remus Lupin was happy.

He honestly couldn't remember when he had been happier. Yes, James and Lily were gone, but he had their son. He had Sirius and he had Fay. His pack was small but it felt right to him. He had family like he did back at school but somehow this family was better.

He had brothers. Sirius was his right hand and brother. There from the beginning and the strength behind his ability to lead. Bill was his younger brother. The one who protected with magic. It was odd to think that he and Moony considered the eldest Weasley as a brother.

He had cubs. Harry was the son of his first beta, and therefore, his cub from birth. Harry was the reason he and Moony survived all these years. Then there was Fay. Fay was his cub in every way but birth. They had seen the need in her and the loneliness. She was a werewolf, just as he was, and she was seeking an Alpha. He was that Alpha for many reasons.

Then there were those important to his pack. Fred and George. Brothers of his brother. Pack. Hermione Granger; love to his cub and devoted friend. Pack. Neville Longbottom, friend in need. Pack.

Remus wouldn't be surprised if his pack grew. Harry loved so many. When Harry loved, he loved too. He suspected that the same would be true for Fay as well. When she loved, he would love.

Now, if only Sirius would leave him alone. He really didn't think he was ready to allow someone into his life in a romantic sense. Sure, eventually he wanted someone he could love; who didn't want that? But he wasn't ready for that yet. He wasn't secure enough in himself to allow his innermost secret to be shared with someone new. He didn't think his romantic heart would survive someone rejecting him due to his condition. It would kill him if the woman he loved didn't love his family, didn't love his cubs.

He sighed and focused on his surroundings. It was the last Hogsmeade weekend before winter break and the village was booming. The students were all shopping for their friends and family while they could and Remus was on duty in the village. He smiled as he watched a student run past in their hurry to get inside out of the cold.

It had snowed the night before, adding inches of snow to the already covered ground. He knew the Three Broomsticks would be full, all the other food establishments would be busier too.

He smelled her before he saw her. Fay ran up behind him and jumped on his back, laughing.

"Hello, little one. How are you doing today?"

"I just love the snow." She slid off his back and spun around him. "All the white, it's like a fairy tale."

Remus studied her closely. The full moon was just about two weeks away. She had struggled trying to adjust to the full moon. They both struggled the next morning; despite being thoroughly exhausted they still went to class all because Severus had invented a new pepper up potion that got them through it. He was glad that her first Christmas as a wolf would not be the night of the full moon, this month's full moon was on the 29th.

He smiled. "What are you up to today?"

"Oh, just getting some Christmas shopping done. We're doing a secret Santa in our year in Gryffindor and we're exchanging those on the last day of term before everyone goes home."

"Do you need any help?"

"No, I drew Lavender so it was really easy to come up with a gift for her. The only person I don't know what to get for is Harry. He doesn't see holidays the same way everyone else does. He doesn't want anything, but family and doesn't need anything because Sirius spoils him."

"That is true."

"Maybe I should make him something."

"I'm sure he would appreciate anything you gave him, Fay. You're right that he doesn't view the holidays the same as most people, that may make buying for him hard, but it also means that you giving him anything will be a much bigger deal to him than anyone else you could buy for."

Fay paused, "Huh, I hadn't thought of it that way. That actually helps."

"I'm glad I could…" an unfamiliar scent blew over him on the wind. He felt his skin tingle in caution. There was another werewolf in his territory. Normally, him claiming any area as his territory would have stopped him in his tracks but, just then, he didn't care.

"Remus," Fay's voice shook. "Is it another…?"

Remus nodded and pulled her close to his side. He whirled around to find a redheaded woman with golden eyes standing behind them. Remus was sure his own green eyes were mostly gold at this moment, meaning both of them had allowed their wolves closer to the surface.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she bowed her head submissively and Moony relaxed slightly. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"What are your intentions for being here?"

"This is your territory then? I apologize for intruding but I am tracking someone and I think they are headed this direction. My sources say that the person I am tracking is obsessed with someone who lives around here."

"Who is it you're tracking?"

She looked around and bit her lip. "I don't really think it's a good idea to talk about this in the open."

Remus studied the younger woman a moment. She wasn't an Alpha, so his wolf didn't feel threatened. He could force her into submission if absolutely necessary. "I have a place nearby that would be private."

"Just to talk?"

He nodded solemnly, "You have my word on that."

She walked forward slowly; her head tilted down as a sign of her wolf bowing to his authority. "Thank you."

"Fay, why don't you go find Harry and Hermione?"

Fay bit her lip, she knew Remus was trying to get her away from the unfamiliar werewolf, "They were going to visit Sirius. Hermione wants to try and convince Sirius to let them go to Gringotts during the Yule holiday instead of Easter Holiday so she has more time to study."

Remus sighed, he wanted all of his cubs away from the woman until he knew if she was a threat. He supposed he could allow Fay to go with him and then send the three away at the same time. "Alright, then come with us and then you, Harry and Hermione can go find gifts for Sirius. He is ridiculously nosy so this might be your only chance." Remus turned to the woman, "this way please."

She followed, leaving enough space to put his wolf at ease but not too much as to indicate she might run. Moony was pleased.

It didn't take long to reach the house. Sirius opened the door before they were even to the stoop yet. "If you say one thing about dating, I will hurt you Siri."

Sirius's mouth dropped open but no sound came out.

Fay giggled. Apparently, Sirius was going to make a crack about Remus's love life.

"What's going on, Moony?"

"This is…" Remus realized he hadn't gotten her name, "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."

"Aria."

Remus nodded, "Sirius, this is Aria and she is like Fay and I." He hoped his friend wasn't having a brain-dead day, "She and I are going to discuss why she is in the area, away from prying eyes and listening ears."

"Harry and Hermione are here."

"Yes, Fay told me."

"Harry won't agree to leave. If we make him, he will just find a way to listen in."

Remus frowned; this was true. Harry would be worried about them and need to know what was going on. Remus turned to the woman, "Are you here to harm the children?" Before she could answer he added, "Be aware that I will know if you lie."

"No. I don't want to hurt anyone, but the one I am tracking."

Remus nodded. "Alright, then please come in."

Sirius led the group to the living room. Harry and Hermione were already there, each with a glass of tea, sitting on the love seat, sitting closer than necessary. They looked up and jumped slightly.

"Stay where you are. You will probably want to hear this."

Sirius sat himself in his favorite armchair. Remus and Fay sat on the couch. Aria sat in on one of the armchairs, facing Remus as much as possible with the seating arrangement.

"Thank you for seeing me." Aria looked at the others. "Should I just start?"

Remus nodded. "Harry, Hermione, this is Aria, she is a werewolf and apparently she is tracking someone."

The redhead nodded. "I think I should start from the beginning. Bear with me, alright?" She took a deep breath. "When I was fifteen, I was bitten by a werewolf and became one myself. I was attending Beauxbatons because that is where my mother attended. My father went to Hogwarts. We lived in Ireland and I was on break for the summer when it happened."

"Aengus O'Connell controls Ireland. He has forbidden Greyback on his territory. It has been that way since I was a child, long before he would have turned you."

"I know. The O'Connell's were furious. As is their way, the pack helped me through my transformations and guided me in the ways of being pack. But I was never accepted. I couldn't go back to school, not in Europe, so the O'Connell's pulled me aside and suggested I go to America. They are much more accepting of those who are different in America, so I went."

"Why wouldn't the Irish pack accept you?"

She looked up to the girl she remembered being called Fay. "Greyback turned me. It is his practice to turn and then leave. He returns years later to evaluate your success. If you did well for yourself, you get a high position in his pack. If you did poorly, you become nothing more than cannon fodder. On rare occasions the one he turned finds a place within another pack; if you are weak, he doesn't care; if you are powerful, he will claim you." She sighed. "Once before, a woman turned by Greyback sought refuge with the Irish pack and they let her in. Years later, Greyback returned and she followed him like a moth to the flame, but in the process, they killed three other pack members. The women of the pack now assume that any female turned by Greyback will cause irreparable damage to the Irish pack if given the chance."

"That's terrible." Hermione sounded outraged on her behalf. "Not everyone is the same. That girl was probably a plant by Greyback or something. She went in with the idea of going with Greyback in the future. I can tell just by looking at you that the very idea of following Greyback disgusts you."

"Thank you, Hermione. I don't know if you are right or not, but that doesn't matter anymore. Where was I?"

"Going to America," Sirius suggested helpfully.

"Right. I did what Aengus suggested. I went to Ilvermorny, the wizarding school in America, and got help from the packs there. I did a great deal of traveling after finishing my schooling. I was hoping to find a pack that felt like home, but nothing was right. America wasn't my home. Ireland wasn't my home. I know France would never be my home because I didn't want to go to school there. I guess that the UK was where I belonged. The only problem with that is, that is his territory."

"Not for long," Remus muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me?"

"We can get to me in a moment, please continue."

She nodded; a bit unsure. "Alright. I came back and knew it was only a matter of time before he came to claim me. Instead of waiting for him, I am actively seeking him. I will not be his. I will refuse him and die trying to kill him."

Everyone but Remus stared at her with wide, horrified eyes. They couldn't understand how someone could so easily announce they planned to die.

"How determined are you in being the one to attack him, to kill him?"

She turned to Remus, "I want to turn him down and want him dead more than anything. If someone else wants to kill him, I would gladly follow them into battle."

"Greyback and I have a score to settle." He put an arm around Fay and hugged her close, the topic of Greyback always upset her. "Greyback turned me when I was four years old as revenge against my father. I had no help with my transformations until years later when I was already used to them. He approached me back at the beginning of June, asking me to join his pack, with an assurance that in a few months I could be one of his Betas.

"I turned him down. I found my pack while attending Hogwarts. My wolf is not Beta. He is an Alpha. I will never bow to him. He sealed his fate when he attacked Fay's home in August. I will be his end."

"He's coming for you."

Remus raised an eyebrow.

"I spoke with an older woman who belongs to his pack. She said she was once his mate but he left her for someone younger, more like him." She couldn't look away from Remus's eyes, the Alpha had her complete attention. "She said that he was furious after meeting you earlier this year. His attacks are designed to scare you. He will attack every full moon, traveling toward you slowly. In the end he will come at you on the full moon, but not before he kills all those you care about."

Remus looked to Sirius; his Beta nodded. They had been right. "Then, he will regret ever meeting me before I kill him."

She stood and then kneeled at his feet. "Let me help you. He won't come alone; you will need someone to watch your back."

Remus looked into her eyes, allowing Moony to take the forefront for just a moment. They breathed in. She was honest, brutally so. She was willing to die fighting. Something in the older wolf decided, in that moment, that he would not let her throw her life away.

"The pack will give you sanctuary."

Aria smiled, her wolf humming in contentment. Perhaps this wouldn't be her last year among the living after all.


	15. Can I GO Back To Sleep?

**Gryffindor Common Room, Last night of Term**

The Yule/End of Term Celebration was in full swing. Someone, most likely Fred and George, had managed to smuggle in Butter Beer, all the sixth and seventh years had contributed to the pot so that the younger years could enjoy some. There were also numerous biscuits and popcorn, courtesy of the House Elves; Fred and George had also visited them. Everyone was in good spirits.

In the corner nearest the grand fireplace, stood Oliver, presiding over his team. "Welcome to the Gryffindor quidditch team, plus Percy and Hermione, White Elephant. Thank you for the idea, Miss Granger." He smiled at the third year, "Now, we all know why we are here, because we are the best quidditch team in the school."

"Plus," Fred added when Oliver stopped to take a breath, "the only person outside the team who can stand Oli is Percy, so he has to be invited." Percy and Oliver threw popcorn at the twins in protest.

"And," Katie smiled wickedly, "where Harry goes, Hermione is sure to be." Harry blushed while Hermione hid her face in Harry's shoulder.

"Moving on." Oliver attempted to get everyone's attention. "Now, I can see that all the White Elephant gifts are on the table, in the hideously festive paper the twins provided." The wrapping paper was garish to say the least. It actually looked like something the Headmaster would refuse to wear. It had a gold, glittery background with dancing reindeer wearing red and green Santa suits. There were also Elves running around, all in red or green, with red and green ribbons trailing behind them. It was almost painful to watch. "Now, I hope you all remember the no spending rule. Your White Elephant gift should be something you owned or made. It can be funny or serious, but nothing dangerous or hurtful."

Percy stood. "I have the numbers 1 through 27 printed on slips of paper in here; we will pass it around and each draw one until all the numbers are gone. When your number is called it is your turn to open a gift, or if all gifts have been opened you can steal or trade with someone else."

And so, the madness began.

Harry drew the 1 so he went first and opened a gift containing a battered copy of 'The Adventures of Harry Potter: Harry and the Dragon's Egg.'

Katie went next, as she drew the 2, and opened a gift containing a stuffed pig that was a shocking orange.

Percy opened a pair of mismatched socks, one green with stars and one red with snowflakes.

By the end of the White Elephant extravaganza, Hermione had the Harry Potter book; she had threatened harm to anyone who took it from her after she got it back, someone had stolen it at one point. This was wrapped by Katie.

Fred got the pig, while George got a slightly dented Fanged Frisbee. Percy was pleased with his muggle pencil case. Those were wrapped by Angelina, Oliver, and Hermione respectively.

Oliver, hilariously, ended up with a pink and purple diary, the front page said 'Property of the Quidditch Princess,' Alicia was pleased that Oliver had ended up with it, that is who she was hoping for when she wrapped it.

Angelina had Stink Pellets, while Katie had Dungbombs. Those were, of course, the idea of the twins.

Alicia was gifted an Autographed copy of 'Magical Me,' by Gilderoy Lockhart. The group had ended up in hysterics upon seeing the book. Harry was quite pleased with himself; he still had no idea why that was still in his trunk.

Harry had ended up with the socks. He actually thought they looked warm. Percy had admitted that he had gifted them. He had intentionally 'lost' the matches to the socks, so his mother would never make him wear them. One of each sock was in a drawer in his room at home, while the other sock from each pair was left at Hogwarts.

Harry and Hermione left the group shortly after the end of their game. They had a Secret Santa to get to.

The third years were doing their Secret Santa, which was being held in the boy's dorm. Neville and Harry had persuaded the other boys to clean up that morning (at wand point); the group of boys and girls had agreed that they didn't want to do this in front of the other students, it was a third-year thing. That meant they had to do it in the boy's dorm as the boys couldn't get into the girl's dorm. Harry was pleased with what the boys had managed. It was the cleanest he had ever seen it.

"Alright, who wants to start?" Harry asked. He was sitting on his bed, Hermione and Neville sitting on either side of him. Lavender, Parvati and Fay were sitting on Neville's bed. Seamus and Dean were on Dean's; Ron was splayed out on his own bed.

"I think you should go first Harry." Lavender bounced slightly.

"Yeah, Harry." Parvati smiled. "It's thanks to you we are closer, so you should start. Who did you draw?"

Harry looked from person to person, he got nods and smiles all around. "Okay," Harry stood and plucked a gift wrapped in shiny green paper with red ribbon. "I drew, Seamus. I think you can use this."

Seamus caught the package Harry tossed him. He unwrapped it quickly, paper flying into Dean's face. He picked up the book that the paper was covering. "A Marauder's Guide to things that Boom?" He looked up to Harry with a questioning glance. "Who are the Marauders?"

"Harry, you didn't." Hermione gasped; her eyes wide.

"Sorry, Hermione. When I drew Seamus, I asked Sirius for ideas for a budding prankster who liked to blow things up. He pulled this off of a bookshelf."

"It's our funeral," Fay moaned.

"Seamus," Harry called. "The Marauders were pranksters. One of them, a Mister Padfoot, was very fond of explosions too. He was my father's best friend, and my godfather. I give this to you on one condition; you cannot use any of the material inside to prank Hermione or me."

"Hey," the other girls and Neville said as one.

"Sorry, I mean you can't prank anyone in this room with the Boom Book."

"I can do that. Thanks, Harry." He put the book down and stood to retrieve the gift he wrapped. "I drew Hermione." He picked up a book shaped gift wrapped in maroon and gold.

Hermione unwrapped the gift carefully, folding the paper and keeping the ribbon straight. Inside she found a crisp, new copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard.

"Those are the wizarding version of fairy tales. With my mum being a witch and my dah being a muggle I grew up with both, I thought you would appreciate those."

Hermione smiled sweetly, "This is wonderful, Seamus. I wish this had come recommended. Reading children's stories, particularly fairy tales tells a lot about society and what morals they value. I love it." she stood and hugged the boy. Handing the book to Harry, she picked up a package wrapped in gold and silver. "I drew Parvati." She handed the Indian girl the shiny package.

Parvati squealed and pulled the silver bow off carefully; the paper she tore to shreds. Pulling the lid of the box she unveiled she found a sheer pink scarf and a magazine. She squealed again, louder this time, wrapping the flowing scarf around her neck and holding the magazine out reverently. "That dress is amazing. What is this Vogue?"

Hermione smiled. "It's a fashion magazine. I thought you would appreciate the different designs. You may not know who the people are, but I hope you enjoy reading and looking."

"I love it. I am wearing this scarf everywhere. Padma is going to be so jealous." She bounced in her seat, holding the magazine away from her equally excited best friend. "I drew Neville." She pushed the other gold package toward the boy with a smile, still not letting the magazine leave her hands. "I hope you like it. Shopping for boys is hard."

Neville unwrapped a book on the plants of India with some seeds. He was pleased and planned to read up on them, so he could start growing them that summer. He handed a package to Dean.

Dean smiled at the paper; Neville had somehow found wrapping paper with footballs rolling across it. Inside the packaging he uncovered art supplies. Sketch pads, charcoal and pastels. "Thanks, Neville. How did you know I liked to draw?"

"Dean, your class notes are mostly doodles."

Dean gave him a sheepish smile, that was true.

He handed a small blue box to Fay. Inside the box, Fay found a pair of snowflake earrings. "I know how much you like the snow, they made me think of you."

She slid the dangly snowflakes into her ears, popped up and hugged the boy. "Thank you, Dean. Lavender, please keep the squealing down. You could kill my hearing." She smirked as she handed the other girl the pink papered gift.

Lavender did indeed squeal loudly when she uncovered the box full of make-up products.

Ron took the orange package from her almost reverently. He loved that color of orange. When he opened the package, his eyes widened and he couldn't speak. "Lavender," he breathed, "How did you know?"

"I didn't. Well, I knew you loved quidditch but I didn't know what team you liked so I asked Harry. He suggested the Cannons. I hope I got it right."

"This is perfect." He pulled out a pin and a pair of knit gloves. Both were bright orange with the cannon's logo on them. He put both on immediately. "Well, I guess you all know who I drew then." Ron handed a package wrapped in Gryffindor red and gold to Harry, smiling timidly.

Harry opened the package slowly, presents were still too new for him to tear in with abandon. Inside the wrapping was a book with a plain brown leather cover. The title read, 'Parseltongue: Magic of the Gods.' His eyes widened in shock. "Where did you find this?"

"Bill. I asked him for help. I have no idea what it says, but Bill knows a guy, who knows a guy, who is a Parseltongue, he recommended it for teaching those born with the ability to learn what exactly they can do. He ensured that it wasn't a dark book. Apparently, a lot of magic involving Parseltongue is in healing, defensive, or illusions."

"I don't know what to say. It's something I've been wanting to look into, but didn't know who to ask or how. Sirius is kind of jumpy around the subject; he tries not to be, but the hissing kind of freaks him out."

"You're welcome, mate. I remember how freaked out you were last year when you didn't understand what was going on and no one believed in you. I thought this would help."

Harry and Ron smiled at each other. It wasn't the same as it had been; it probably never would be. Now, however, they knew that things would be better than they had feared.

**Malfoy Manor, December 24th**

Lucius was furious. He was sick and tired of Tiberius treating him as an underling. Yes, his family was originally from France. No, his family had not been in wizarding Britain since the dawn of society. That did not mean that he was a lesser being. Lucius knew his family's wealth was among the most impressive in their community. Tiberius did not hold the same level of wealth. Lucius was the current holder of influence while Tiberius's star was fading. Tiberius needed to realize that Lucius was not his to order around. Lucius would answer only to their Lord.

Tiberius had sent a letter detailing what he expected Lucius to do. He would not be doing as instructed without good reason. If Tiberius wanted his assistance, he would have to share his knowledge. Lucius was the head of his family now. Abraxas was dead and the older generation of their Lord's followers were going to have to come to terms with that. Lucius would be much better for their Lord in the long run.

He penned a note instructing Tiberius to meet him on the 27th. They needed to talk and come to an agreement. They wanted the same thing, their Lord returned to power, now all they needed was to combine forces. They would be equals or Lucius would find his own method.

Perhaps he could talk to Draco. Lucius didn't share most of his plans with his son; he wasn't sure Draco was ready for that level of business, but perhaps Tiberius shared with his son. He was fairly certain Tiberius's son was in Draco's year, or a year above him. Draco didn't really need to watch the Crabbe and Goyle boys all the time. Yes, he would have Draco get closer to Tiberius's son. When there was trust, Draco could pump the boy for information. As back up plans went, it wasn't awful and it wouldn't hurt his cause if it failed; Tiberius's son was bound to be more intelligent than Draco's enforcers.

"Master Malfoy, being excusing Gilly. Mister Dark being at the Floo. He be saying he needs to speaks to Master."

Lucius looked at the Elf, disdain painted across his face. He hated the Elves, but found them useful occasionally. He loathed Black. "Tell him I will call upon him in a few days. I don't have the time right now."

The little Elf shrunk down but did not leave. He raised an eyebrow while watching it ring its hands together. "Gilly being sorry, Master Malfoy. Mister Dark man be saying he has to speaks to Master today. He is saying he will come no matter what Master says. He is being waiting for sake of Mistress."

Lucius growled while his Elf cowered. "Fine. Open the Floo and tell him I will be there shortly."

"Should Gilly be getting tea?"

"No. He won't be staying."

"Should Gilly be telling the Mistress?"

Lucius opened his mouth to deny the Elf that task but paused. His wife would be cross if he hid this from her. He didn't really care what she wanted but he did not want to deal with her revenge. "Yes, inform my wife as soon as you see to Black."

The Elf popped out immediately to do as instructed. Lucius glanced down at the letters he was reading. It seemed Yaxley was making progress. Signs said that their Lord was in the east. Lucius had to agree that he would most likely not have left Europe. Yaxley was heading south and east. They all thought that their Lord was most likely to head to places with a higher concentration of poisonous snakes, so south. It would also have to be one of the less popular destinations. So Italy was out. The Italians also had some fairly impressive warding around wizarding establishments. It was for that reason that Greece and Bulgaria were also out. Lucius hoped Yaxley was up to the task.

He locked the missives in one of his drawers, warded so only he could access it. With a sigh, he made his way to the drawing room so he could deal with his wife's annoying cousin.

When he arrived, Narcissa was already there. She and Black were talking quietly, Black smiling brightly. "I hope I'm not missing anything of importance."

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Malfoy."

"I'll be back shortly, Siri." Narcissa smiled at her cousin before exiting the room. She didn't even look at her husband. He would have to deal with that later.

"What can I do for you, Black? You should know that you pulled me away from something important and I doubt that anything you could need to speak to me about would be anywhere near as important."

Black stared at him blandly. Lucius had to admit that he played the game well. Either Orion or Walburga taught their son well.

Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out a file. He appeared to check the information, then handed it to Lucius. "I am here to inform you that your marriage has been terminated due to a breach in the conditions of the betrothal agreement."

Lucius went pale, but attempted to keep his composure. "What was the incident of offense?"

"The marriage is terminated due to the death of a child."

"My son is alive." Lucius considered the man. What was he talking about? What was his wife thinking?

"Yes, he is. Your daughter on the other hand is not."

His eyes widened slightly; he knew Black saw it; others would not have noticed the subtle change in expression. "I did not cause the miscarriage."

"You did not cast the spell, Lucius Malfoy, but you were the reason a child of the House of Black was brought before a man who tortures his own followers."

"Narcissa went there by choice. She follows as I do."

"That, Lucius Malfoy, is a bald-faced lie and you know it." Lucius winced; he was hoping his wife would not return before they finished their discussion. "I am a Black by birth; Blacks do not bow to anyone save the head of house. I begged you not to take me before him. I implored you to think for yourself and not follow in your father's footsteps. You did not listen to me. That mad man used the Cruciatus curse on a pregnant woman because she did not want to be branded like cattle. I did not follow him before my daughter died; I will never follow him because my daughter died."

"Then why are we still married? If that is a reason to terminate our marriage, then why is this coming up now?"

"You know why. Arcturus Black was a coward. He wanted your money and new influence to aid the House of Black. He did not follow the way of our house. For him, money and political power were more important than family; that is not the way of the Blacks."

"That was fifteen years ago, this can't be a viable reason any longer."

"There is no statute of limitations on murder Lucius. You are the reason your daughter was never born; the healer's report sites exposure to the Cruciatus curse as the reason for miscarriage. You are the reason she was left vulnerable to him and that curse." Sirius glared at him. Lucius had to fight his fear. Black was rather terrifying when he was enraged. "There is no time frame placed on the amount of time between said incident and the time of the termination."

"I will fight this. She is my wife."

"You will lose. Amelia Bones would be the one to overlook this case. She doesn't like you and she doesn't trust you. Add in the fact that you are to blame and you should realize you have no case."

Lucius snarled.

"I have spoken to your son."

"Why would you speak to Draco?"

"Because his mother is a Black and she wishes to return to her House, Draco has a right to follow her. He is a third year at Hogwarts, legally he has a say in where he lives from this point on. Contractually, at that age his decision is entirely up to him. He has chosen to live with his mother, thus joining the house of Black."

"He is my heir."

"You're young enough to try for another. I am sure you can find some little gold digger to wed and provide you with an heir." Narcissa sneered. "I have collected my things and Black Elves are already moving our things. They should actually be just about finished." As she spoke, Kreacher popped into the room, snapped his fingers and all the paintings and furnishings in the drawing room disappeared. "In case you have forgotten, Mister Malfoy, I purchased and decorated most of the rooms we used in the house. I am sure you can pull all of your mother's furniture out of storage to ensure none of the rooms are empty."

He sputtered. What was happening? He opened his mouth to speak but could not find the right words. What could he say? He knew he didn't have a case; the Blacks always wrote iron-clad contracts, contracts that favored the Blacks in every clause. He had just hoped that Sirius didn't know that.

"Everything is taken care of, Mother." Draco stepped into the room. "Uncle Sirius. Thank you for allowing us to use the Black Elves to reduce the amount of time it would take to move out of Malfoy Manor."

Sirius nodded. "You are a Black now, Draco- that is the way the Black family is supposed to function. Family First." He held out a hand to Narcissa, "I believe it is time to go, Cousin."

She smiled. "You are, for once, correct, Siri," she teased. "Draco, you should go first."

Draco moved to the Floo and, without a word or glance, left Malfoy Manor, for what he hoped was the last time.

"This is goodbye, Lucius Malfoy. I do hope you find what you are looking for." Narcissa, too, stepped into the Floo with no intention of returning.

Sirius did not say a word. He glared at Lucius until the blonde blinked. Smirking, Sirius Black Flooed from Malfoy Manor, leaving Lucius Malfoy without a wife or son. Leaving Malfoy to face a recently emptied house. He would later find that his wife had only left those pieces he had insisted on. The only room still completely furnished was his office.

"Gilly!" he shouted. The Elf popped in. "Pull what is left of the old furniture from storage and place it in the common areas."

When the Elf popped out Lucius looked around him. Things were not looking up for the House of Malfoy.

**12 Grimmauld Place, 4:30AM Christmas Day**

He should have expected it. The signs were obvious now when he thought back to the last week. But, despite that, he was still surprised.

Harry groaned as the large black dog licked his face, waking him from a deep, restful sleep. "Get off, Padfoot." He shoved at the dog's muzzle, turning his face away from the attacking tongue. "Stop, it's too early to be awake." The teenager attempted to roll over and go back to sleep.

"Come on, Harry. It's CHRISTMAS. There are presents under the tree. We can't start without you."

The boy rolled back over and glared at his now human godfather. "Sirius, it's 4:30 in the morning. Normal people don't get up until at the earliest 7. I would even concede to 6; 4:30 is just too early. Go back to bed."

"No can do, Harry." Sirius climbed on the bed and started jumping. "Get up sleepy head!"

"REMUS," Harry yelled. "Come kill Sirius for me." Harry had noticed Remus leaning against his doorframe, his eyes closed. It looked like Remus might fall asleep where he was standing.

Remus blinked, "Sirius, I told you it was too early. Can we please go back to bed?"

"No." Sirius said firmly. "If you don't get up, Harry, I am going to conjure a bucket of water and dump it on you."

Harry groaned and sat up. "I am questioning why I bought you anything."

"I can't believe I forgot about this," Remus muttered. "If I had remembered, I would have stayed at the Hogsmeade house."

"That reminds me," Sirius turned to Remus. "Remi, go pick up Aria, she shouldn't be alone on Christmas Morning."

"I'll go before breakfast. We will leave the present portion of the morning family only, alright?" Remus hoped that he could spare the woman from this early morning insanity.

Sirius pursed his lips, "Fine, but make sure you bring her for breakfast. Now, I am going to wake Fay and Narcissa."

"What about Draco?" asked Harry.

"Woke him first." Sirius smiled. A moment later the man was out the door and bounding down the hall.

Harry got dressed in nicer pajamas, Sirius had insisted present time was for pajamas only, and stumbled down to the family room, where their gigantic tree was located. Draco was sitting on one of the arm chairs next to the roaring fire.

"Your godfather is crazy."

"I couldn't agree more right now."

"Though, being woken up at this ungodly hour is better than sitting through my father's yearly lecture on behaviors that are strictly forbidden for a young man of my station."

"Why did you get that on Christmas Day?"

"It is unbecoming to show excitement or even receive gifts for a Malfoy."

"So, Christmas was not your favorite day of the year?"

"Well, it was always strange. I would get lectured for an hour then he would shower me with gifts. It was impossible to guess what he wanted; some years he wanted me to refuse the gifts saying I would donate them to those in need, but other years I was expected to be very gracious and greedy about it."

"That's confusing."

"Tell me about it. At least Mother was normal. We had a little celebration for just her and I after lunch every year while Father called his business associates."

"What is your favorite Christmas moment of all time?"

Draco thought for a moment. "You know, waking up to your mangy mutt of a godfather hits pretty high. If he is like that, I know I can just enjoy and be free with my emotions. But I also really love the year Mother took me to London to look at all the decorations in the middle of the city. What about you?"

"Christmas in the Gryffindor common room, first year. It was the first time I had ever gotten Christmas gifts, at least that I remember that is. I also got something that had once belonged to my dad, so it was like two gifts in one."

Draco just stared at him. "This is only your third Christmas?"

Harry shrugged. "It is what it is. My relatives didn't like me, so I didn't get to celebrate with them."

"Well, Happy Christmas, Harry."

"Happy Christmas, Draco."

"Happy Christmas, boys." Narcissa stepped into the room looking perfectly done up and not the least bit tired. She was also not in pajamas. "I hope you got at least some sleep."

"Mother, don't take this the wrong way, but how are you so awake and functioning right now."

She raised an eyebrow at her son. "I know my cousin." The boys exchanged a look. At least someone had been prepared for Sirius's childish enthusiasm.

Sirius, Remus and Fay joined them a moment later, Fay clinging to Remus's back. Her head was on his shoulder, her eyes closed. "Harry, kill your godfather for me, would you?"

Harry almost laughed. "Maybe, I was planning on seeing how he did present wise before I hurt him. If he does a good job, I'll just maim him."

"Okay," she yawned.

Remus dumped Fay on the sofa next to Harry and sank into an armchair. "If I don't have coffee in the next minute, I will be neutering Padfoot."

Sirius paled. "Dobby! Kreacher! I need coffee in here, stat."

Kreacher appeared a moment later, a tray with three mugs of coffee balanced on it. "Kreacher brings coffee for the Master, Miss Cissa and the Wolf." He levitated the already prepared coffees toward their intended recipients.

Dobby popped in just after him, a try of hot chocolate for the kids. "Master Harry Potter Sir, Dobby brings hot chocolate for him and his family. It is secret Elf recipe. Heres you go Missy Fay, Old Master Draco, Sir, Master Harry Potter, Sir." Each cup had exactly 7 marshmallows floating on the warm drink. Each mug was blue with dancing snowflakes.

"Thank you, Dobby. I always loved your hot chocolate." Draco took a deep breath, absorbing the smell of one of his favorite beverages. "You know, Harry, I really hated you for helping my father free Dobby. Now, I'm really happy you did."

Harry took a sip and moaned in pleasure. "I can understand that. I would be really angry if someone took him away from me too. He's a great little Elf."

Remus took a long gulp of his coffee; if he wasn't so tired, he would hurt Sirius. "Good morning, Narcissa. How are you this morning?"

She smiled brightly. "I can honestly say that, despite the outrageously early morning, I haven't felt this relaxed and happy in years."

"What are your plans?"

"For now, I am going to be helping Sirius put the family affairs in order and then we will be taking up the Black seat in the Wizengamot."

"Do you have any particular goals you want to achieve?"

"Well, Sirius wants equality; I see nothing wrong with that, but realistically, the current political climate won't be conducive to even suggesting that. I plan to slowly make things better." She leaned toward him slightly, ignoring the impatient look on Sirius's face. "I hope to repeal the most restrictive laws by the end of next year. The following year we can start putting forth laws that are better for those who are currently struggling because they aren't purebloods."

"I wholeheartedly approve. I agree that the current administration won't take kindly to Sirius's 'now' mentality. If you ever need help reining him in, let me know." He took another sip, finishing his first mug of coffee, it was really great coffee. How the Elf knew he liked a little chocolate mixed in was beyond him. Kreacher popped in with a second mug a moment later. "Are you planning on staying here or are you going to be looking for a new home?"

"For now, I will be staying here. Sirius and I haven't actually discussed anything, but I was thinking of perhaps taking over one of the other properties. They all need fixing up, but I was rather fond of the Villa located on the coast in the south."

"Okay," Sirius shouted, "now that Remus has his coffee and isn't going to kill me, it's present time! No more boring talking." He bounded to the tree and plucked a package off the pile.

And the madness began.

Harry, as he always did, opened his packages slowly. Sirius got more and more impatient with every gift Harry opened. He would end up bouncing in his seat, muttering come on over and over.

Draco and Narcissa were also very proper and reserved when opening their gifts. This was a habit as Lucius expected behavior befitting a Malfoy; which basically meant emotionless.

Remus was amused. He opened his gifts at what he considered a reasonable pace; faster than Harry and the former Malfoys, but slower than Sirius and Fay, who tore through their wrapping paper as if their lives depended on it. It seemed, at least to him, that Narcissa was intentionally going slow just to annoy her cousin; it wouldn't surprise him if she was.

After an hour and a half of opening gifts, the room was littered with paper. Fay was marveling at her new clothes; it seemed everyone got her clothes or jewelry. For what was probably the thousandth time, she smiled brightly at Narcissa. She knew the woman was responsible for the selections being exactly her style.

Harry was admiring his regulation set of practice gear. He could now practice quidditch with the proper equipment; Sirius said now all they needed was to get the country manor house cleaned and refurbished; it had a full pitch in the backyard and was warded so no one could see the property.

"Will you help me practice when we get the pitch set up at the country house?"

Draco nodded enthusiastically. "I could use the practice too. You're the best competition at school so you're the best person for me to practice with." He looked down to the envelope in his hand. "Can you believe it, Harry?"

Harry looked at his own envelope, "No. I didn't even know the world cup final would be held in Britain this year."

"Only the ministry should know right now. They don't usually sell tickets for these events until spring."

"We have a VIP box."

"I hope Sirius can get passes to meet the teams." The man had said he tried to get them but they weren’t yet available. Sirius had claimed to have purchased them in the past for when he and Harry’s father had attended a World Cup Final. “It would be incredible to talk to professional seekers.”

Harry nodded enthusiastically. "I wonder who will be playing."

"Hard to say. The season isn't even to the good part yet. We don't even know who will qualify for the actual cup games."

"Who has the strongest teams?"

"Well, from what I have read up on, Ireland is strong. Japan, Italy and Brazil are always in contention. The US, Sweden and Portugal look good this year too."

"Are there any surprises?"

"Spain has a great new keeper that tends to be their weak spot, so they could go far this year. The chaser line for China is oddly good, so they have done well in the early games of the season. Bulgaria is the real wild card though; their new seeker is like seventeen or something and is supposed to be really good."

"Enough with the quidditch talk," Narcissa said with authority. She was glad the two were having a conversation that was so open and carefree considering their past relationship, but she really could care less about a game that wouldn't be played for about eight months. "How about you all go take your things up to your rooms and get cleaned up for breakfast."

The three teens nodded and started collecting their things.

"That means you," Sirius said pointing at Remus, "need to go collect little Miss Aria."

Remus rolled his eyes. "You know she hates it when you call her little, right?"

"But she is little. Harry is almost as tall as she is. I think Draco is taller. That means she's little."

"Sirius, women do not like it when you comment on their size. We expect you to say we look nice; we do not need you to tell us if we are short or tall. We do not need you to point out that our weight has changed. If we have a blemish, don't mention it because we already know and are hoping desperately that we managed to hide it effectively. All you ever need to tell a woman is that she looks nice, lovely, fantastic; pick the appropriate adjective for your relationship with the woman."

"But she…"

"Sirius."

"Fine. I won't call her little anymore." He pouted. "Can I still call Fay, 'Little Fay?' I like calling her that and it makes her smile."

Narcissa smiled slightly. "Yes, you call her that as a term of endearment, so, until she asks you not to, you may still call her 'Little Fay.' Now, you two need to get dressed and do something that is out of the way."

"Remi…"

"Yes, Siri, I know. I am going to put some actual clothes on and then go and get Aria. I don't want to do that in my night clothes." If he survived the day it would be a miracle.

**Granger Residence**

Hermione was happy. She had just had the best Christmas of her young life and the joy just kept growing. She had been invited to Grimmauld Place for dinner the night before. Christmas dinner was a boisterous affair. The Tonks family, Narcissa and Draco, Remus, Aria, Bill, Fred, George, Fay, Sirius, Harry and herself were in attendance.

They spent a great deal of time laughing, which was expected with Sirius and the twins around. There was quidditch talk, the safest topic for Harry and Draco, discussions on work and even school. Tonks, don't call her Nymphadora, was almost as bad as Sirius and the twins. She spent most of the night changing her features to get the others to react. The twins loved her pig nose.

As is every meal Dobby prepared, dinner was fantastic. Everyone ate too much, well not Narcissa, she was too well mannered to allow herself to overindulge.

After dinner the remaining gifts were exchanged, mostly the kids. All in all, the fair was good. Hermione got books, lots of books. She even got one on wizarding traditions from Draco and Narcissa. Fred and George got a variety of things, including muggle joke products from Hermione; her defense was she thought they would find it humorous.

Harry gave Hermione two gifts; the first was a set of first editions of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings that just happened to be in the Black Library. No one was entirely sure how they got there, but Sirius said Hermione would treasure them more than anyone in the Black Family. The second was a stuffed bear. She had lamented the loss of her favorite stuffed toy one night. She had lost it while on vacation with her parents when she was 8 and still missed it, but had felt she was too old to say anything about it. Harry gave her a black bear with a red and gold ribbon around his neck. Sirius had given it a lightning bolt scar. He didn't want to give her a copy of her bear, which had been tan with a purple dress, so he designed his own. She loved both her gifts.

Harry gave the twins copies of prank books: Fred got the Marauders Guide to All Things Rancid; George got the Marauders Guide to Slips and Sticks.

"That's it, Mister Potter. You are now in detention for as long as I am your teacher," Remus moaned.

"We're not in school, you can't give me detention." Harry grinned.

"I don't care. It was bad enough you gave Seamus Finnegan the Book of Boom, but giving them copies of the Book of Stink and the Book of Slime is taking it too far."

Fred and George flew to their feet. "We solemnly swear we will not use the secrets of the Books of Boom, Stink, or Slime against Moony of the Marauders." Hermione coughed, "Or Hermione Granger." They looked at the other students. "We will attempt to avoid using them on all individuals in this room, but in certain circumstances may not be able to keep them completely out of the prank if it is to affect the entire school."

"I suppose that will have to do," Fay said with a frown.

"I'm not going to like this am I?" asked Draco.

"No, Dragon, you are not." His mother smiled into her glass of wine.

Hermione smiled, thinking about it still made her laugh. She heard a buzzing and turned to pick up her gift from Sirius. He had given her and Harry communication mirrors and she couldn't be happier. "Hi, Harry."

"Hey. How are you?" He felt a little silly, they had had the mirrors for less than twenty-four hours, but had used them three times already.

She smiled at him. "I'm good. My cousins have come and gone and no one got into a shouting match this year. I even got to show off a picture of my boyfriend and I; Juliet was positively green."

Harry chuckled. "I'm happy I could help. Things around here are crazy. Bill got called into work, so he dropped the twins here because he doesn't trust them not to destroy his flat and their mother is still angry. Bill thinks at this point it is really just her pride and the fact that Ginny stayed at school. He thinks we just have to wait her out."

"He's probably right. Molly places her family first and when she doesn't know what to do, she goes into attack mode." Harry nodded and she shook her head. Weasleys were crazy. "So how bad is the prank war?"

Harry grimaced. "I locked myself in my room and Remus warded the door for me. He said he was locking himself in the library, because the books will attack if you try to destroy them. It's a free for all right now. Fred against Sirius against George. Oddly enough, George appeared to be winning."

"Well, George is a sneaky one. Fred may be the idea man, but George is the one that tends to figure out how to make those ideas work."

"That seems to be Sirius's problem too. He and Fred keep coming up with elaborate pranks while George goes with the simple sneak. They keep getting in each other's way and pranked by George at the same time."

"How bad is it?"

"Sirius is bald and his skin is silver with snake scales. Fred's hair is pink while his skin is Chuddley orange and he has duck feet. George has antlers. All their clothes have changed multiple times; last I saw Sirius was wearing footie pajamas, Fred was wearing a tutu and George was in a Slytherin green dress with ruffles."

"Wow, George is winning. Good for him. What type of footy pajamas?"

"Pink ones with bunnies and carrots on them."

"Seriously?"

"Remus got pictures. I'll get you a copy when he develops them."

"I look forward to seeing them. Harry?" Hermione frowned when she said his name.

"What's wrong?"

"Did you like your present? It really wasn't as good as the one I gave you for your birthday. I outdid myself there and I couldn't think of anything to top it that wasn't essentially copying myself. I don't know, it was really lame. I'll take you somewhere, just us to make it up to you. What do you want to do? Do you like movies? What type of movies? Have you ever been to a movie theater? Have you been to a restaurant? What am I thinking? Of course you have, you took me to one. Have you ever been to a muggle restaurant? Do you prefer Chinese or Indian food? Or would you prefer Italian? Do you like pizza? I know this really great pizza place that is just down the street from a movie theatre." Hermione took a deep breath when she heard Harry's soft laughing.

"You done?"

Hermione blushed, realizing that she had just gone on one of her 'question rants.' "Sorry."

"Hermione, I loved my present because it came from you. You made it even more special because you made it for me by hand. I know you learned to knit just so you could make me the scarf and hat and despite being Gryffindors you made me a green and black scarf and hat because Green is my favorite color. Not to mention, the fact that you gave me that picture, which is really great and I honestly have no idea how you had that taken as I don't remember anyone around when we were on our date."

"I kind of asked Fay to see if she could get a picture of us while we were on our date in November. I told her not to stress about it, just to get one if she saw us."

"Well, she picked the perfect moment." And she had. Fay had managed to get a picture of them just as Harry kissed her cheek. The figures in the picture then smiled brightly at each other, deep blushes on their faces.

"So you really like it?"

"Yes, but if it will make you feel better, I've never been to a movie theater and I have actually never had pizza, but always wanted to try it."

Hermione smiled despite her outrage. How could they deprive a kid of pizza? She really hated what the Dursleys had done. She wished she could yell at them. Of course, she felt bad about that thought considering what happened to Vernon and Petunia. "Harry, would you like to go on a date with me on Tuesday?"

"I would love to. Hermione, would you be my date to Neville's New Year's Eve party on Friday?"

"Of course, Harry. You are the only date I would want for Neville's party."

They smiled at each other, both blushing furiously.

Harry jumped and almost dropped his mirror when an explosion shook his door. "Hermione, I've got to go. I think Sirius and the twins are trying to burn the house down."

"Go, Harry. Save the books."

Harry snorted as the mirror went blank. Now he needed to go tie his godfather and the twins up so they couldn't break the house, and before Narcissa killed them.

**Hogwarts, Severus Snape's Quarters**

Something had been nagging him. His mind kept coming back to the scene at Privet Drive. At the time, the style used in the murder of Petunia Dursley had not been familiar. It still wasn't exactly familiar, but something was pulling his mind back to the master bedroom.

The way it was done was characteristic of all of the 'old guard.' All of the Dark Lord's original followers were trained by him and tended toward the same methods when they tortured their victims. The only difference was the order in which they performed them. Severus was wracking his brain trying to pinpoint which of the original members used that particular order. The only problem was; he was not part of their circle. He was the potions master and 'spied' on Dumbledore, they were his political advisors.

With a flick of his wand, a copy of the scan of the scene flew to him. Reading it through again, he agreed with his original assessment. There were a number of his followers who could have done it. He was focused on the originals: Dolohov, Avery Snr, Lestrange Snr, Mulciber Snr, Nott Snr, Rosier Snr, Macnair, Abraxas Malfoy, and a few from the continent.

Logically, he could discount those who were from the continent; none stayed in Britain after the Dark Lord's downfall. Those in Azkaban could also be taken off his list; Dolohov, Rosier Snr, and Mulciber Snr. Had he not already discounted Dolohov due to his imprisonment he would have done so based on the style; Dolohov was much more inventive and had a great number of original spells at his disposal. Lestrange Snr and Abraxas were dead.

That left him with Avery, Nott and Macnair. Not a bad list. Of course, those were the ones he was least familiar with. Avery's son was much more active than his father during that time. Macnair spent most of his time as the go between the Dark Lord and the giants, so Severus only saw him when the giants were involved. Nott Snr was, like the Malfoys, on the political side of the war.

Sighing he thought of those individuals again, he would focus on Nott and Avery. Macnair, if he remembered correctly, was more than a little crazy. He had the blood lust; when he started killing it got brutal and out of control fast, this killing was bloody, but in no way out of control.

His fire flared green and the Headmaster's head appeared out of the flames. "Do you have a moment, my boy?"

Severus nodded, he wanted to discuss his thoughts with the Headmaster anyway. "Please, step through, Albus."

The Headmaster stepped from his fire a moment later, absently banishing the soot from his blue and silver robes. He took a seat opposite Severus and smiled his grandfatherly smile, complete with eye twinkle. The look really disturbed the potions master.

"What can I do for you, Albus?"

"How was your Christmas, my boy? I noticed you did not attend dinner in the Great Hall yesterday."

"You know I do not actively celebrate the holiday, Albus. I could not attend the festivities due to a potion being at a critical stage most of the day yesterday. Had I attended, I would have needed to start over and this particular potion takes more than a month to brew and I have need of it in the next week."

"Completely understandable. Did you enjoy your gifts?"

Severus rolled his eyes. He did not do gifts. He did not give them and did not expect to get any; despite these facts, certain people saw fit to give him something every year. The only gift he ever took any pleasure in was the bottle of Scotch that Lucius sent every year, well he actually suspected that Narcissa was responsible for him receiving the correct drink as Lucius still tried to serve him Sherry when he visited. He loathed Sherry.

Minerva always gave him biscuits. He always ended up leaving the tin in the Slytherin common room for those who stayed over the break to enjoy. Albus gave him socks; a dozen pairs of ridiculously colorful socks.

He decided to ignore the question. "It is fortuitous that you came when you did, Albus. I have been thinking on some of our problems of late and actually managed to make some headway in terms of one of the individuals who attacked Privet Drive."

Albus' eyes brightened with interest. "Please, do share. I would love to hear your reasoning."

And so, he told him his theory. The general style that reeked of the Dark Lord's original followers. His reasons for who he suspected and why. "I keep trying to come up with a way to make a best guess between Avery and Nott but each time I do; I can argue for the other with equal strength. I just don't know enough about them to make an educated guess."

Albus hummed. "I follow your thinking; it is an excellent theory that I can't refute at this point. I could discount a number of followers due to their style and current locations, but I had not thought to narrow it down by social status within the group. The magical signature is both familiar and not at the same time for me; if it were Avery or Nott, I can see why it isn't entirely familiar. I was not Headmaster when they attended school. I was the Transfiguration teacher. I became Headmaster 10 years after Riddle left and they attended around the same time as him. Nott, I believe was two years younger; Avery a year older. They were merely Slytherin students to me at the time. I watched Riddle closely after the Chamber incident, but did not pay any particular attention to anyone else of Slytherin house. After teaching so many, magical signatures of those I wasn't paying particular attention to fade."

Severus nodded, it made sense from that angle. "I was also beginning to think on the other individual, the one who killed Dursley. The style was reminiscent of Dolohov, who as we both know is in Azkaban so obviously it could not be him. Many of the younger followers worshipped Dolohov. He had a particularly distinctive style and the Dark Lord's favor because of it. A few tried to emulate him."

"Who stands out from that pool?"

"Travers, Yaxley, Pyrites, Goyle and Crabbe off the top of my head. I would lean toward Travers or Yaxley though. Crabbe and Goyle took lessons from everyone. Pyrites preferred to watch and adapt, so he ended up with a style that paid homage to various other followers."

"Have you made any headway on the possible locations?"

"No, I have not. The only thing I could think of was the Chamber, but from what you have said, he was not here long enough the one time he returned after graduating to place one in the Chamber."

Albus nodded gravely. "I came to the same conclusion. I do have a nagging feeling that he hid one somewhere else in the castle though. He asked to say here over the summer every year, Headmaster Dippet always denied him. It is against the school bylaws after all."

"I hate to suggest this but, perhaps you should speak to Lupin or Black about possible locations in the castle. They spent a great deal of time exploring as students and you know as well as I, that they knew a number of secret passageways that no one else seems to be aware of."

"I may just do that." He looked into the fire, not seeing the flames but something far away. "I am concerned."

"About?"

"Greyback. He is acting very uncharacteristically and the Ministry is making things difficult."

"I do not know what to tell you, Albus. I was not involved with Greyback at all. I worked potions and spied. Greyback barely followed the Dark Lord; he did so because He promised Greyback free reign once he was in power."

"There was a photo found at the last scene. The photo indicated targets."

Severus had a sinking feeling in his cut. He had hoped this year would be different. With the Defense teacher devoted to Potter, he assumed no one would actively try to kill him this year. "Potter?"

"Harry, Sirius and Remus."

"Which is his main target?"

"Cornelius think's it's Harry. The DMLE will not make a guess as Greyback is unpredictable and could have any number of reasons to attack someone. I think he is targeting Remus."

"Based on the fact that Remus is also a werewolf, and one who doesn't follow him, I would have to agree. The best way to get to Remus is to target Potter and Black. You said the Ministry was making things difficult, what did you mean?"

"Cornelius insists on showing he is doing something. I suspect news of the photograph will leak soon and when it does the parents will worry for their children. Cornelius is going to guard Hogwarts grounds."

In theory, that didn't sound like a bad thing, but the Headmaster's tone suggested he would not like the Minister's solution. "Who is guarding the castle? Is he draining the DMLE of personnel?"

"No, I wish it were that. Cornelius and his Undersecretary had decided to pull some of the guards from Azkaban."

Severus felt the sinking sensation in his gut. "When you say pull some of the guards, you don't mean the human personnel, do you?"

"They are sending half of the Dementors of Azkaban to be stationed around the wards of the school. He assures me they will not cross onto school grounds, but I fear his assurances will mean nothing in the future."

"Why does he think the Dementors will succeed where Aurors have failed for decades?"

"I do not know."

"Do Dementors affect werewolves?"

"That is also something I do not know. I will ask Remus if he is aware; he may not know however as he would never have been in contact with Dementors before he was turned and I do not know if he has ever met one."

"I'm sure he has. If I remember correctly, we were both present during one of the attacks involving Dementors during the last war. He and I were among the few who could cast the Patronus. For some reason, I feel as though werewolves have a greater resistance to the beasts. The Dark Lord often used Greyback and the Dementors in unison; the pack was slowed somewhat, but they were not reduced to whimpering messes the way many wizards are."

"This is most troubling." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We will have to discuss whether Hogsmeade visits should continue once term begins. I do not know if the risk of exposure to the children should be ignored in order for them to visit as is tradition. What are your thoughts?"

"While most children will probably only be chilled by their presence, it is those with troubled pasts that I am concerned for. As you know, Dementors often bring forth our worst memories; for someone like Marcus Flint that is going to be losing a quidditch match. For Miss Weasley it will most likely make her relive the diary. A child from an abusive home will relive those painful moments. Who can guess what Potter will hear when faced with those creatures?" He used Gryffindors for a reason. Albus had become somewhat jaded and did not see those who suffered in Slytherin but he saw the pain of his 'favorites.'

"I will take that into consideration. I fear there are more troubled students than I realize."

Severus decided not to comment. The Headmaster all but admitted he did not see all was enough for now. "I did have one other question. Have you heard from William Weasley concerning the Goblin's thoughts on the magical signatures?"

"I have not. I had planned to wait for him to come to me, the Goblins do not like to be rushed."

"No, I don't suppose they would," Severus mused, letting his mind drift with the flickering flames.

**Gringotts, Hall of Records**

Bill Weasley sat waiting in the office of Master Narvog, the Head of Gringotts Records Department. They had already exchanged their greetings. Master Narvog and then excused himself to collect the information he needed from the research team he had used to investigate the magical signatures Bill had presented him with.

"Sorry for the delay, Curse Breaker Weasley. I also apologize for pulling you in on your day off, Gringotts recognizes your family difficulties, it has been noted that you have taken a sort of intermediary position between your mother and your siblings. Gringotts values the young and will attempt to allow you to continue looking after your siblings."

The old Goblin took a steadying breath. "This, however, we felt could not wait until the beginning of the school term." He handed Bill a copy of the report. "We keep a scan of every customer's magical signature for our records to ensure that only authorized individuals can access vaults and that if something is amiss, we can track the perpetrator. Your scans brought to light something that concerns us. One, we identified as Eddard Yaxley. We had no record of the second scan."

"That would suggest the individual is not a customer. Which could suggest a foreign wizard, but, a foreign wizard would have been noticed when casting those compulsions on my brothers."

The Goblin nodded. "We came to the same conclusion. Add in the fact that wizards are, for the most part, inherently lazy and there is no other bank on the island and you find yourself in a bit of a conundrum." Master Narvog placed his elbows on his desk and leaned forward. "I sent the scan you brought to us to the research departments and have been testing theories. They contacted me last night, claiming to have found the reason for everyone's confusion."

"What did they find?"

"The magical signature is muddled. Somehow the wizard has found a way to mix his signature with that of another, thus creating an entirely new signature. There are traces of the original signatures, but they are mixed and rearranged in a way that doesn't make it seem like there is anything wrong."

"Can the signatures be separated?"

"Not as of yet. We would need to compare the signature to recent scans of wizard's signatures. The magical signature is always changing; these changes are slight and the base is generally the same, but in this case, those changes are intensified due to being mixed with another so a scan from a year ago, or five years ago will not give a definitive answer."

Bill wracked his brain. "Could the culprits be narrowed down?"

"We could perhaps narrow it down, most likely to blood relations, but finding the right signatures to start with is also a challenge. We have many account holders and we want to find the culprit now. We will test every scan on record, but it is unlikely we will find the right one before summer due to the amount of time it takes to separate the signatures. We are not even sure if it is only two mixed signatures."

"Can I take this information to Headmaster Dumbledore and Severus Snape? Both are researching the incidents independently and may have ideas that could narrow down your search."

"Yes, the director has asked that we coordinate with Hogwarts staff for as long as the coordination is mutual. He appreciates the information suggesting we start our search with the Lestrange vaults, it did shorten our search and produced results. We can now take our time auditing all vaults now that the imminent threat is resolved. We know this is generally a day for family and rest, but we ask that you do not delay in relaying this information to the discussed parties."

"I will leave immediately. Thank you, Master Narvog. May the knowledge you hold bring you enemies to their knees."

"May your talents bring you long life, Curse Breaker Weasley."

**Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office**

Bill Weasley stepped into the circular office that belonged to the Headmaster of Hogwarts. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice Headmaster."

"It is no problem at all, Mister Weasley. What can I do for you?"

"Is Professor Snape available? I think he would want to hear this as well."

"Of course, just give me a moment to Floo call him." The Headmaster got up from his desk and called down to the dungeons. "He will be here in a few minutes. Would you like some tea while we wait?"

"That would be nice, thank you."

"How was your Christmas, Mister Weasley?"

"It was nice. Yesterday morning was a little stressful; mum was not happy that Ginny decided to spend the holiday at school. She isn't particularly happy with anyone but Ron at the moment so it was tense. Dad is being supportive and gave his permission for the twins to stay with me until they have to head back to school; that set mum off until she got a letter from Charlie." He sipped the tea an Elf had dropped off, "Fred, George and I had Christmas dinner at the Black's last night. That was, as I'm sure you can imagine, hilarious. I don't know if I want to ever leave the twins alone with Sirius; I don't think the building they ended up in would remain standing for long."

The Headmaster chuckled. "Yes, those three are rather enthusiastic about their pranks, aren't they?"

"I agree with Mister Weasley; they would probably destroy a building if they didn't have Lupin or Narcissa looking out for them."

"Thank you for coming up, Severus." The headmaster turned his attention to the eldest Weasley child. "What did you wish to speak to us about?"

"The Goblins asked that I bring you news on their findings concerning the magical signatures. The first belongs to Yaxley. The second they could not identify."

"Yaxley was on my list of possibilities for that signature." Severus mused. "Why could they not identify the other signature? I assume they did not send you here only to inform us of the one identity."

"The research team found that the magical signature was muddled. There was more than one signature. Somehow, whomever killed Petunia Dursley rewrote his magical signature by borrowing power from at least one other individual and meshing their signatures in such a way that neither individual's magical signature is discernible."

"How is that possible?" the Headmaster asked in shock. He had never heard of anything like that.

"The Goblins are unsure. They suggested an artifact was responsible but can make no definitive analysis without having access to the person."

"Severus, do you have any ideas?"

"I know nothing for sure. I do know the Dark Lord traveled extensively and found many items and tomes that were thought to be lost. If there was once an item that could do as the Goblins suggest, it is very possible he found it."

"Who would he give such an item or spell to?"

"Only his most trusted."

"So the inner circle. It could be any number of those who claimed Imperius."

"Actually, there are a very limited number he would share something like that with. Him giving his Horcruxes to some followers is one thing, he made a good number so he had replacements; something like this, if it were an item, would be irreplaceable. He would only leave something like that in the hands of someone he actually trusted. People like Bellatrix may have been in the inner circle but she was not trusted the same way as the first followers. If it was a spell, he would have to be sure it was someone who would never think to use it against himself. This again would lead toward his first followers, the ones who knew who he was before he reinvented himself."

"There was a hierarchy among the inner circle?"

Severus nodded to Bill. "Yes, there were actually three levels to the inner circle. I was in the lowest level. I was not trusted with a command; I was given individual orders that I was to follow. The tasks presented the lowest level of the inner circle were fairly important, but not so much as to be dire. The second level could lead others and could deviate within reason, their instructions were not as detailed. The most trusted members were often asked to use their own judgement. These members were also often called early or held back for meetings, what they discussed during this added time was never discussed outside their Elite group."

"Who was part of the Elite?"

"Mostly those we discussed earlier, Albus. Dolohov, Avery Snr, Lestrange Snr, Mulciber Snr, Nott Snr, Rosier Snr, Macnair, Abraxas Malfoy and a handful of men from the continent."

"I will take the names to the Goblins."

"Only Avery, Nott and Macnair are possible suspects for the current issues. The rest are either in Azkaban or dead. I lean toward Avery and Nott for the attack."

"Thank you for the insight, if you come up with anything else you think Gringotts might be able to use, contact me."

"Could you see if there are any properties on record connected to the Dark Lord? Perhaps he hid another of his soul anchors in his own home."

Bill nodded. "I will ask. If there is anything on record that he owns, then I am sure the Goblins will search it or send the information along for you to investigate."

"Thank you, Mister Weasley." The Headmaster stood to shake his hand. Perhaps he had made a greater mistake than he thought by not seeking assistance before now.

**Hogsmeade**

Remus, Aria and Fay were at the Hogsmeade house. That night was the full moon, the final full moon of 1993. They were waiting for their Wolfsbane to arrive.

Things had been a little awkward between Aria and the Alpha since Christmas Day. Aria didn't know what to do. She was grateful the man was willing to help her destroy the monster that was Greyback, but she thought that all might have been negated by the jokes played by Sirius.

It had started out just fine. She had been making herself some tea when Remus Flooed in. He had seemed surprised she was awake; it was extremely early. When she told him about her insomnia and the fact that she had been awake since five he had relaxed and then told her that her presence was requested by Sirius at breakfast. That had worried her. Why would Remus's friend want her to attend Christmas breakfast? She hoped it wasn't that he was attracted to her. Her wolf would not settle for the Beta of the pack; her wolf was too infatuated with Remus.

Aria had relaxed when Sirius had hugged her and said no one should be alone on Christmas. He didn't smell like someone who was attracted; he also didn't hold on for longer than necessary. It was all very normal for someone who craved human contact after not having any for so long. Breakfast had been normal. Great food, quiet conversation and tired people.

Then the pranking started. Sirius Black did not know how to have a day without pranks. He started by charming everyone's clothes and hair to look like Christmas when they weren't looking. The only person who didn't look like they had walked out of the North Pole was Narcissa, Aria thought that might be because she never took her eyes off of Sirius.

Remus was the first hit. She thought he let it happen so he would be out of prank rotation for a while. His clothes and hair also ended up being the tamest. His robes were just a variation of a Santa suit and his hair had gone completely white; he did not have the Santa beard. Her hair had turned red, white and green stripped while her clothes had transformed to look like a Christmas tree, just without the pine needles. She thought Harry and Draco looked rather cute dressed as Christmas Elves. Fay had ended up dressed as an angel, complete with floating halo.

Then the Weasley boys had arrived. All three had ended up with antlers within thirty seconds of being in the house. They also had name tags proclaiming the Dasher, Donner and Blitzen. Someone had snatched Sirius's wand before the Tonks family and Miss Granger arrived. She saw Remus stash it on Harry's hat. He, of course, made sure Sirius fit in by transforming him into a version of Frosty the Snowman.

Sirius had found his wand at some point, but did not start up on their appearances again. In fact, he dispelled all the costumes before they all sat down to afternoon tea. They would not be having lunch as dinner would be served early and no one wanted to be full before eating the feast Dobby and Kreacher were preparing.

That is when the mistletoe started. Sirius would occasionally charm mistletoe over a pairs head forcing them to kiss or the mistletoe would start hitting them in the face. This was discovered by Draco and Fay; they had decided not to follow that custom as they didn't feel comfortable kissing at all. Then the hanging plant had started smacking them in the face. In sheer desperation Draco had kissed her on the cheek, oddly enough the mistletoe had stopped the moment his lips touched her cheek.

The mistletoe would not concede to a kiss on the cheek when it hung over Harry and Hermione. For them it required a peck on the lips. Fred, George and Draco were all forced to kiss Fay and Hermione on the cheek. Harry was directed to kiss Fay on the cheek once and his girlfriend on the lips three times.

Ted and Andromeda were caught under the mistletoe twice and the kiss they shared was slightly more than a peck.

Bill and Tonks were Sirius's subjects only once, mostly because it was fairly obvious the metamorph would attack him if he did it again. For his part, Bill was mostly just amused with the whole thing and had ended up kissing Hermione and Fay on the forehead just to make it obvious that Sirius couldn't phase him. The younger man had also kissed Aria on the cheek with a wink. Aria liked his style.

Things had started going bad the first time the mistletoe had hung above her and Remus. The mistletoe had demanded a kiss on the lips that was much more intimate than the ones required of anyone else. It was then that Aria had started to see what Sirius wanted. Aria didn't mind. In theory, she was, after all, very attracted to the man, but she didn't want to broadcast that to the rest of the party.

The second time she had really just enjoyed it. Part of her was singing being that close to the Alpha, the rest of her couldn't form a coherent thought. She did hear a very un-lady like swear from the young Auror in training.

Tonks started to position herself within arm's reach of Remus, but somehow Sirius managed to place mistletoe above Remus and Aria three more times before Remus managed to drag Sirius out of the room. She didn't hear what they said, she had heard the start of a silencing spell, but when they came back Sirius did not bring out the mistletoe anymore. It had helped, but Aria was sure that Miss Tonks really didn't like her.

The one thing Aria did not want to do was cause trouble within Remus's family, but that is just what she was doing.

"Where are you getting the potion anyway? It is so expensive and hard to brew. Your friend Sirius has the expense part taken care of, but are either of you capable of brewing it?" The silence had been killing her. She could see Fay looking between them, confused by the tension.

"The Potions Master at the school brews it." Fay jumped into the conversation, she appeared relieved someone was going to talk.

"Really? Is he that good?"

"Youngest Potions Master in centuries,” Remus added quietly.

"Remind me how it tastes."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "I don't have words to describe it."

"Gross," was Fays only response.

"I haven't taken it in almost a year. I couldn't afford it after I moved out of the US. They supply it at shelters; paid for through charity groups. It's a great tax deduction."

"I wish there was something like that here. Perhaps if there was, more werewolves would be able to refuse Greyback. Of course, if I have my way that won't be an issue for much longer."

Fay jumped when someone knocked on the door. "I'll get it."

Moments later Fay returned followed by Severus Snape. He was carrying four steaming goblets.

"Thank you, Severus." Remus smiled tiredly. He never slept well the night before the full moon.

"I have a variation I think should reduce the pain of the transformation. It is your choice if you would like to try it this month."

"Does it make any difference that I was taking the original version every other day this week?"

"It shouldn't, the basis of the potion is the same, I just altered some ingredients. Combined they have the same basic effects but with an added buffer against the pain the transformation causes."

"What are the chances it doesn't work?"

"The chances it doesn't suppress the animal instinct are minimal; I have been working on the alterations for three months and this one tests nearly the same as the original. The chances of it having no difference on the pain level, I would say about 40%."

"So, a 60% chance that it will reduce the pain."

"In my opinion, yes."

Remus considered for a moment. He wanted this for Fay. She was so young and he hoped he could spare her the pain, at least some of it. He wouldn't let her test it however, he also wouldn't ask Aria to test it. Of anyone, he was the only one he knew that could still function somewhat without the potion; he and Moony were closer than most and the wolf had started to combat the animal instinct before the potion became available to them.

"I'll test it. If it works, great, we can use it next month. If it doesn't, that allows you to experiment that much sooner. Plus, I don't want you to have wasted your time."

Severus nodded solemnly. He handed the green mug to Remus before handing two of the blue mugs to Fay and Aria.

"Thank you," Aria whispered before downing the potion, fighting to keep her face straight despite the horrid taste of the potion.

"I'm sorry, Severus. This is Aria, she is another victim of Greyback’s. She is here to both protect the school and bring him down. Aria this is Severus Snape, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts."

He nodded in her direction, allowing her to cope with the foul taste. "Do you feel any different?" he asked his colleague.

"No, potion tastes the same, and goes down the same. I will track how I feel for as long as I can."

"I can observe, professor. I think I have bonded enough with the wolf for it to allow me to remember important things throughout the night."

"Thank you, Miss Dunbar. Is Mister Black going to be here as he normally is?"

"Yes, he was waiting for Narcissa to return from her business before leaving Harry and Draco alone."

"How is that going? Potter and Draco have not gotten along while at school."

Remus chuckled. "It's going surprisingly well, they seem to be trying, mostly for Narcissa. They keep conversation mostly to quidditch and school."

"How is Cissa doing?"

"I had forgotten you were fairly close. She helped you out at school, didn't she?"

"Narcissa was a friend during that time, she and I had similar issues with the way things were going."

"Narcissa is the consummate Slytherin. She appears to be thriving, but I really can't say for sure. The only time I see genuine emotions from her is when she is mothering the kids. Draco is doing okay, but it is still rough, perhaps having you visit will show him that losing his father will not make him lose all the male role models in his life."

"I don't think I will ever understand you or how you became friends with Black. That is not something he would have ever suggested; I doubt he would suggest it now." He looked at the two other werewolves in the room. "I would like to observe."

"Are you an animagus?"

"No, but I have every confidence that the potion will work. If it doesn’t, I think I can trust Black enough to protect me long enough to get out of the room."

"I'll be there too, Professor. I won't let Moony hurt you."

"Thank you, Miss Dunbar." The young girl smiled before grabbing the woman's hand and leading her out of the room. "She seems to be in better spirits this month."

"She's excited to have Aria here. It's a bit awkward for her after the moon. Clothes don't survive the change. She likes it here with me because she feels more secure, but she is also not comfortable when we change back. Moony always gets her into the other room before sunrise, but she is still very weak. Fay often needs help in the morning because she isn't used to the aftereffects yet. I can mostly ignore them if need be."

"I can see how a female presence would sooth her. How experienced is this Aria?"

"Eleven years of changes. She was aided by the Irish pack for a few moons and then went to the US to continue her schooling. They supply Wolfsbane in America, so she had access to it for about nine years. She hasn't had any potion for the last year. I don't know how connected to her wolf she is. The Irish Alpha is very experienced and could have shown her, but his pack will not welcome anyone changed by Greyback, they are particularly abrasive toward females changed by Greyback."

"Will she be any help if you do try to kill me?"

Remus raised an eyebrow. "I thought you had every confidence in your potion."

"I do, but I am a Slytherin, so I plan for every possibility, even if I don't think it is necessary."

He chuckled. "She has eleven years under her belt and Wolfsbane in her system, you should be fine if I do go crazy. Moony knows me and he knows what I can handle, if the Wolfsbane is partially ineffective then he will fight until there is no threat to my state of mind."

"WOLFIE I'M HOME!" Both men turned to see Sirius stepping out of the Floo. "Who's ready for a fabulous full moon with a new wolf chick joining the pack?"

"Must you always enter a room in some obnoxious way?"

"Well, hello, Snape. How are you this fine evening? Where are the girlies?"

"Fay and Aria are downstairs. Severus brought a new variation of the Wolfsbane I am testing tonight; it is supposed to reduce the pain caused by the change. He plans to observe, so if the potion doesn't work properly, I need you to get Severus out of there fast."

"I can do that. Thanks, for trying to improve the potion."

Severus nodded. "Should we prepare for moonrise? If I am not mistaken, our time is limited."

"Right you are, Mister Head Snake." Sirius smiled while marching toward the basement.

"Is he on something?"

"He's been like that for about a week. He loves Christmas and it puts him in a ridiculously good mood. I keep telling myself there is nothing wrong with being happy, but half the time I just want to punch him. The smile is driving me crazy."

"Someday, Lupin, I might actually come to like you."

Remus just shook his head in amusement before walking briskly toward the stairs.

Severus Snape followed more sedately, preparing himself for something he had feared since his teens, but was determined to face. He would not let himself fear Remus Lupin.

\---

Severus did not know if he would ever fear Remus Lupin again. Watching the transformation was painful. He could hear the bones in the other man’s body creaking as they expanded. He thought Remus’s skin would rip open as his limbs elongated. It was the most horrible thing he had seen in many years.

He could have smiled watching the wolves interact. Remus, no Moony, was very proud as a wolf. Severus could feel his demand for respect and attention. The Alpha wolf stood proud as he instructed his young pup, for that was what Fay was- a cub. Fay Dunbar, a quidditch obsessed Gryffindor, was for all intents and purposes, a werewolf puppy. She was hyperactive, bouncy and craved attention from her Alpha. The young wolf soaked up the lessons she was taught like a sponge. Aria was stunningly graceful as a werewolf. She moved with purpose and intent, sleek and silent. Remus had been right to suggest she knew what she was doing despite never having seen her as a wolf; her over ten years of changes showed.

"It's crazy to watch isn't it?"

Severus glanced at Black, he had changed from his Grim form and conjured himself a chair next to Severus. "I am not sure if I find it more disturbing or enlightening."

"Yeah, the change itself is horrible, but watching him like that," he shook his head. "I don't have words to describe it. He was never like this when we were in school. There was no control and there was no pride. I don't know what he went through while I was locked away, but whatever it was, it was good for him, at least in terms of the wolf."

"Has there been any change since the other's joined his nights?"

Sirius nodded. "He doesn't seem lonely anymore. I noticed the difference instantly during Fay's first transformation. Moony considers her as his daughter, Remus just hasn't caught up to that yet. The wolf takes great care with her. Before it was always just us. I would act like an idiot to try to get him to enjoy himself and he would indulge me. With her I don't feel the need to act the clown. He has a mission now and it fulfills him more than my fun ever did."

"And tonight?"

"He's trying to impress her without making it look like he wants to impress her. Moony is an Alpha and could have her if he wanted but he would never do that because Remus would not approve. The funny thing is, he doesn't have to do anything to impress her. Aria's wolf is, in my opinion, attracted to the Alpha who is spending all his time instructing the pup."

"So, how annoying have you been in your matchmaking efforts?"

Sirius looked away, trying to hide his smile. "I don't know what you're talking about. I would never dream of interfering with Remi's love life." Severus raised a brow at him, to which Sirius shrugged. "Okay, so I was less than subtle at Christmas, but I know he's attracted to her, he told me. I know she's attracted because I can see it. I just want him to be happy. Remus avoided relationships all throughout school because of his furry little problem, he can't use that excuse with her. She won't run because of what he is because they are the same."

The two men looked up at the wolfish huff. Moony was staring at Sirius with a look that clearly told him that he had heard everything. The light brown wolf, the same shade as Remus's hair, stood far closer than they had though he was. His normally green eyes were almost completely golden due to the moon's effects. Sirius gave him a somewhat bashful smile, the wolf rolled his eyes before settling down an arm's length away from them to watch his cub.

"She's doing great, Moony." The wolf hummed as the little wolf followed the sleek reddish wolf in her sleek stalking walk. Faolan had been awkward and clumsy, with Aria's guidance she was starting to look like a full-fledged wolf, with all the grace that entailed. "Do you think Miss Aria has named her wolf?"

Moony looked over his shoulder at him.

"Yeah, probably not. Don't worry, I'll come up with something." When Moony growled softly he held up his hands. "Okay, okay, you come up with a name for her."

Severus shook his head. "You are one strange man, Black. Mister Moony," he felt odd calling him that. "Do you feel any different tonight than you normally do while taking the potion?"

The big wolf shook his head slightly.

"Did you feel any less pain while shifting?"

Moony tilted his head slightly, a nod yet not.

"I take it most of the pain was felt by the human mind?"

At this the wolf nodded fully.

"Very well, I will return in the morning to speak to Remus, but for now I am going to head to bed. Have a pleasant night."

Sirius and Moony watched Severus leave. "I think he likes you, Moony." He smiled widely at the wolf. "I also think he doesn't hate me anymore."


	16. Decisions

**Yorkshire – Upper Flagley**

She stood staring out at the wreckage. Upper Flagley was a small village, but that village was special; Upper Flagley was the home of more than a few wizarding families. It was for this reason that the damage done to this town was more than double that of the previous areas. Wizards fought back when werewolves had them cornered.

Fenrir Greyback had chosen Upper Flagley as his post Yule target. She did not know if he chose the target because it was wizarding or just by coincidence; she feared the target was intentional. With the progress he was making, she knew he was getting impatient. She wondered if he would wait for the end of the school year to strike. When she was a child, she did not attend Hogwarts, her parents couldn't afford it. In turn, she didn't know the schedule, but if the students were still in school during the full moon in June, it would be mere days before they returned home.

Fenrir was determined to ruin Remus Lupin; ruin him so completely he had no choice but to join him. Take away his job. Destroy his ability to get a job. Kill his friend. Rip his 'cub' to shreds. She wasn't sure if he would get the same satisfaction waiting to the end of the school year. If he made his move in May then Lupin didn't get to finish a school year, and thus failed. If he waited for the end of June, then Lupin finished the school year, was successful, but then had it all ripped away.

There was a time she knew his every move, his every thought. Now she knew nothing.

"Is Greyback's pack out of control or just Greyback?"

She turned to see a woman she knew of but had never met. Amelia Bones was someone Fenrir hated because of her tenacity and sense of justice. "Everything he does is controlled, Amelia Bones."

Amelia watched her closely. "And yet, he is killing without reason and drawing unwanted attention to werewolves. His actions are making it harder and harder to keep the werewolf laws fair. Fear is drawing even the most fair minded into Umbridge's clutches. If she has her way, then werewolves will be caged every day of the rest of their lives if not euthanized."

"He wants revenge."

"And that means he has the right to ruin the lives of those who live safely?"

"He doesn't care. He was denied what he wanted so the one who denied him has to be taught a lesson."

"You agree with this?"

"No. I have never agreed with this. Whenever he does this he makes things extremely difficult for the rest of the pack. Our lives are hard enough because we can't keep jobs and are forced to steal to feed ourselves. It shouldn't matter that those he turned have found their own homes in the time he was gone, but to him it does matter."

Amelia's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying he is doing this to punish a werewolf, who rejected him?"

"Yes. Someone he turned nearly 30 years ago said no to his offer to join the pack. When I say offer, I don't really mean offer. Fenrir expects those he sires to return to him."

"So Remus Lupin, Defense professor at Hogwarts is a werewolf."

She tried to hide her surprise. How had she guessed that? "No," she lied quickly. "It is someone else living in Scotland. I will not share his identity."

"Greyback left something at the last full moon that indicated Lupin, Black and Harry Potter were his targets. I know Black is not a werewolf, he was in Azkaban, so we know he isn't. Potter is thirteen. That leaves Lupin."

"I don't know what he left, but your conclusion is false."

"I won't be telling anyone. I don't agree with the laws. If you are correct, and Remus Lupin has been a werewolf for 30 years then I will keep his secret. There is not one report even suggesting that the man is a werewolf. If his life is tied to the moon, it proves that I am right and werewolves can live nearly normal lives without biting anyone if they are careful."

She swallowed. Rumor indicated that Amelia Bones was an honorable woman. She kept her word and operated in a way that was fair for all who remained law abiding. "Do I have your word that everything I share stays between us?"

"You do. I am prepared to make a magical oath to that effect."

She nodded. "I am going to have to demand you take one. I do not wish ruin upon anyone by sharing with you."

Amelia whipped out her wand and quickly made an oath promising not to divulge any information she learned about innocent people. It left her open to use anything she learned to get rid of Greyback or an individual like Greyback. "Tell me what you know."

"Remus Lupin was turned on March 28th, 1964. Fenrir chose him because his father thought much the same way as your Miss Umbridge. He turned the boy to teach the man a lesson, that lesson being that werewolves should not be killed just because of what they are. He left the boy to deal with the changes on his own. I watched for the first few months, just to make sure he survived. Lyall Lupin changed that first month. He saw what his son went through just to survive while locked in the basement, chained to the wall. He still took the hard road concerning werewolf laws, but he didn't demand death just for carrying the curse."

"He left a child to deal with that alone? How old was he? Five?"

"Four. Remus Lupin had just celebrated his fourth birthday." She shook her head, "Fenrir had started leaving those he turned a few years before. He was tired of doing all the work, so he left them to deal with the change on their own and only came back when they failed to succeed. If they managed to make something of themselves, he would come back much later and offer them a position among the pack, a leading position. Remus Lupin, he left the longest. Somehow he went to Hogwarts and was not discovered. He got his Mastery and was not discovered, or those in charge of his Mastery did not care. As far as anyone knows, he has never had a close call. Fenrir wants Lupin to become one of his Betas. The only problem with that is that Lupin's wolf is an Alpha; it would never follow Greyback."

"Mister Lupin turned him down." Amelia could now see where this was going. "Greyback is wreaking havoc for the sole purpose of teaching Lupin a lesson, isn't he? He is heading north because eventually he means to attack Lupin directly, but not before he kills those important to him, namely Black and Potter."

"Exactly."

"When will he strike?"

"May or June."

"Will he go alone?"

"No. He will have at least two others with him, most likely three or four. He will use the others to hold him down while he kills Black and Potter in the most painful way imaginable. Lupin will be forced to watch. Once they are dead, Greyback will either frame Lupin or kill him. It will depend on how gone he is at the time."

"Will he attack every full moon until then?"

"Yes."

"Will he attack alone?"

"No. He wasn't alone last night. He brought one of the new ones with him last night."

"Who did he turn during the August full moon?"

"I don't think he turned anyone. As far as I know, the only people to survive a physical attack since he started this, were bitten last night and Fenrir didn’t bite those survivors."

"The scene at the Dunbar house didn't make sense unless there was someone bitten in the room."

"He didn't tell me he turned anyone. I can ask, but I don't think he will tell me. He already told me who to monitor next month due to Terrance's lack of restraint last night. If he turns someone, he tells me so I can monitor them during their first year of full moons."

"Is there any reason he would hide the identity from you?"

"If they were young it would irritate me but he would still tell me. I have managed to steer him away from turning children as young as Lupin was but he does turn teens on occasion. The only reason he might not tell me would be if they had access to another Alpha. If they are connected to another Alpha, they shouldn't need my help, but he still usually tells me just in case the Alpha turns them away because of who sired them."

"Would Lupin turn away anyone who was sired by Greyback?"

"No. I don't know him, but from all I have seen and heard from my contacts abroad, he is a good man. He will help anyone in need as long as they do not plan to follow Fenrir's path."

"Is there any way you could figure out who he turned?"

"I can ask around. If I have to, I can seek out someone who planned to head off Fenrir; she would most likely have made contact with Lupin by now. She may know. If I do find out, do you want to know?"

"It would help me hide the victim if I knew who they were."

"I am going to see if I can meet with Lupin. I will share your wish to help shield them with him. If he is shielding someone that Fenrir turned it will be his decision to share their identity."

"I can live with that." Amelia handed over a card, "If you need to contact me, burn the card. I will come as quickly as I can."

"I will."

"Why are you helping?" Amelia asked as the older woman started to walk away.

"Fenrir is making life for the packs difficult. Aengus O'Connell has approached me, as have the loners. They can't allow this to continue. I can't allow this to continue. The man I loved is all but gone. I still love him, I will probably never stop loving him, but I can no longer allow him to continue as he is. I don't have the strength to fight him, but I do have the knowledge to aid those who could beat him."

The werewolf turned and walked away. She had three boys to contact; three boys whose lives would never be the same because of the events of the previous night. It had become her practice long ago to approach bite victims as early as possible. She would give them options. She hoped they refused her help and sought out someone else, someone who wasn't tied to Fenrir.

**Hogwarts**

Albus Dumbledore studied his staff. They all seemed relaxed and fairly happy. Remus looked tired, but that was nothing new. Severus showed no emotion, which was typical. The rest were just happy to be back to work.

The students would be returning from their Yule holiday in just two days' time and there was much to discuss.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I hope you all enjoyed the Yule holiday. For those of you who spent the holiday away from the castle, welcome back. There is much to discuss, so I am going to dive right in. Minerva, would you start with the list of students on academic probation and which subjects put them there. I would like every instructor to meet with these students within the first week back so that we can get them caught up before end of year exams."

So they began. His professors had plans for each child and for that he was grateful. He didn't like it when students fell behind. They were educators; it was their job to import knowledge in a way the students could understand.

Then the discussion switched to the budget and what they were able to acquire due to the donation from the basilisk carcass. The new school brooms were just the first purchase. Albus had also approved an update on reference materials for the library and an additional greenhouse.

"Now," Albus started after the completion of the usual start of term list. "I have one more bit of news. I am sure you have all seen the news about Fenrir Greyback's monthly attacks. What hasn't made it to the news is that there was evidence left at the November scene that indicated he might be headed to Hogwarts."

"Why would he come here?" asked Pomona.

"There was a picture of Misters Potter and Black and a member of our staff, Remus, that was damaged in a way that indicated they were targets." His eyes went to Remus and he saw the gold bleeding into his green eyes. "The Minister thinks Greyback is attempting to get revenge for Voldemort, so he is going after Mister Potter."

"What do they plan to do? What should we do with this information?" asked Filius.

"Minister Fudge plans to add security to Hogwarts."

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Irma Pince looked his way.

"How does he plan to do that?" Minerva looked weary of his answer.

"Minister Fudge is pulling a portion of the guards of Azkaban and placing them around the wards of Hogwarts."

Albus watched his staff. This was not good. Remus's eyes were now completely gold. Pomona was white; in fact, most of his female staff had gone pale. Filius was shaking. Hagrid was shaking his head, muttering "no". Severus, having already heard, watched as well; his focus was on Minerva.

Minerva McGonagall was enraged. Her face was red, her eyes hard and she was gripping the table so hard her knuckles were white. "He is doing what?"

Albus didn't answer. Answering would not do anything for him.

"You can't put Dementors near a school. Those things are soulless creatures. They are the damned. There is nothing worse you could subject a child to. This cannot stand. You have to refuse." Minerva’s brogue grew stronger the longer she spoke.

Albus shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, I can't refuse. He will be placing them outside the wards. I do not control the area around Hogwarts and the Dementors are under the direct control of the minister. The Wizengamot can't deny his plan either."

"What do they hope to accomplish?"

Albus turned to Remus. "Fudge hopes the Dementors can take care of Greyback."

"Dementors don't affect werewolves the same as normal wizards," Remus’s voice was deceptively quiet but Albus could see the fury in his eyes.

"You know this for a fact?"

"My Mastery is in Defense against the Dark Arts, my specialty is dark creatures and how to counter them. The laws concerning werewolves are different in Asia, so we are able to ask them about things like this. Dementors affect werewolves, but the debilitating cold and fear is lessened by the wolf. The effect is worse when they aren't under the effects of the full moon, but it is still not to the same degree as any other wizard would experience."

"You're sure?" Severus asked quietly.

"Yes. My instructor was curious about the difference the wolf mind would have on the effect of Dementors, so he and I were present when some volunteer werewolves encountered Dementors." Those who knew his secret knew he was one of those volunteers.

"Did your instructor share his findings with anyone?"

"Our findings were published in a Defense periodical and we shared the findings with government officials; those officials would have shared with other governments, as is procedure."

"So the Ministry knows?" Filius wanted to know.

"As far as I know, they were informed of our findings, but the Asian government has come to realize that what they share is generally ignored by the British Ministry. There have been a number of times where our ministry has contacted their Asian counterparts about an issue, nine times out of ten the Asians already know and actually told our ministry about it long before the inquiry."

"And yet, they still plan on placing those beasts around the school." Poppy was seething.

"That is ludicrous." Minerva said, her voice still thick with rage.

"I agree, my dear. But there is nothing I can do about them being placed here. What we need to discuss is whether we continue to allow the students Hogsmeade visits or not."

"We can't. They would have to go past those things every weekend. As a health care provider, I cannot allow the children to be subject to the side effects of Dementors even if it is just one day a month. Having them this close to the grounds is bad enough."

"I agree with Poppy." Pomona quickly agreed. "I almost want to sequester them in the castle."

"No to Hogsmeade," Filius said simply. "Perhaps we can come up with something for the students to do on the regular Hogsmeade weekends, so they don't lose out on the treat."

Albus nodded. "Let us vote on it." When called, each and every member of the staff voted to cancel Hogsmeade visits due to the Dementor presence. "Then it is decided, we will cancel Hogsmeade visits for the duration of time the Dementors surround the grounds. I would like each of you to try to come up with an alternative event for the students. We will reconvene in two weeks."

**Grimmauld Place**

Harry Potter sat staring at one of his communication mirrors, begging it to connect with its partner. His holiday had been great overall. Christmas had been a blast, the best he had ever had. The fact that he had family and more friends had made this the best year of Harry's life and he couldn't wait for the next. Bill, Sirius and Remus had changed his life. They gave him a home away from Hogwarts. They gave him father figures to look up to. Through everything that had happened he had gained a sort of mother figure in Narcissa and an aunt in Andromeda. It was amazing having so many adults care about him.

The other thing that made his life ten times better was his friends. He knew he would always have Hermione- that was something he would never doubt. One way or another she would be in his life. Now, he had more. The third years were closer, all because of what Lockhart did to Ron, and that brought him his 'sister', Fay.

And yet, he still had more. He thanked Fred and George for that. The Gryffindor team had rallied around him and now they were more than a team, they were family. He wasn't sure what they were going to do without their 'big brother' Oliver next year.

He had attended his first New Year's Eve party only days before. This party had been hosted by Angelina and it was a huge party. She had invited most of Gryffindor and a good number of people from other houses as well. Harry didn't even know all the people there, but that hadn't worried him because he had so many people around him who cared.

He had spent the evening mostly with Hermione and Neville. Harry had started wondering why he and Neville had never been close before, they got along extremely well with little effort. He had watched Fay for a while, she was having a girly night, spending most of her time with either the chasers or Lavender and Parvati.

Everyone at the party talked, danced and laughed. When the countdown started Hermione took his hand and looked to the sky. They did not kiss at midnight. They were not yet comfortable showing that much affection in front of people outside their circle, kissing at Christmas had been embarrassing enough.

Fred and George let their fireworks fly. It was a fantastic show. The third years cheered loudest because they knew that Seamus had designed a third of the colorful explosions on display and each and every one was a work of art.

Now it was the night before they returned to Hogwarts and he had messed up. He and Hermione had set up mirror dates. Hermione's aunt was in town, she had arrived on the 28th, so Hermione was spending time at home to be with her. She did not want to miss out on her 'Harry time,' as she called it, so they spent an hour every day talking on the mirror. Yesterday, the second, Harry had forgotten.

Hermione had activated her mirror that day only long enough to tell him she was mad at him for missing their date; after that she had hung up and had not answered any of his following calls.

"Okay, pup. Enough sulking, tell old Sirius what's wrong and he will fix it."

"I don't think you can fix this." Harry didn't look up at his godfather as he spoke, he continued looking at the mirror in his hands.

"Sure I can. I'm me. I can fix anything."

"I messed up."

Sirius frowned at the sadness in his voice. He sat down on the bed next to Harry and put an arm around his shoulders. "Talk to me."

"I missed a mirror date with Hermione."

"You were having mirror dates?" he thought that was sickeningly cute.

"Yeah. Hermione's aunt is in town and she wants to spend as much time as possible with her, so we agreed to do mirror dates instead of going out. Mostly we just talk about school, homework and our day." He shrugged, "we set it up so that we started at 1:30, making sure we had time to eat lunch and get to a place where we could talk in private."

"But yesterday the twins and I started a prank war and you joined in and we skipped lunch entirely."

"Yeah. I didn't even think about my mirror date until Remus came back from the school and said dinner would be ready in half an hour, so we needed to dispel all the pranks and get cleaned up."

"Did you tell her that today?"

"I didn't get a chance. I started to apologize, but she cut me off, told me she was mad and I hurt her feelings by not being there and not telling her I couldn't make it. Then she hung up on me."

"Did you try calling again?"

"Yeah. I called instantly. I've called about a dozen times. I don't know if I should keep calling or not."

Sirius squeezed Harry's shoulders. "It could go either way. With Hermione, I think you need to let her be. She knows you tried to call but if you keep going you may just annoy her. Give her the rest of the day and apologize to her tomorrow on the train. Don't make excuses. Be honest."

"That's what I was thinking. Should I get her something?"

"For most girls I would say yes. For Hermione…" Sirius shrugged.

"No." Harry decided. "She wouldn't want any sort of gift to try to win her back. She would prefer honesty. If I'm wrong about that, fine, but I don't think Hermione would want me to get something for her when she is mad at me. I think she would prefer I get her things because I am thinking of her, not because I made her angry."

Sirius studied Harry. "Sometimes you sound so wise. Other times I swear you have never had a meaningful conversation in your life. How is it that you know exactly what to do when dating?"

"Gryffindors are crazy. They date and then mess up a lot."

"This is true, but how does it help you?"

"I watch people. I've always watched people. Before Hogwarts I watched, so I could figure out the warning signs that meant I would probably get in trouble; at Hogwarts, I watch so I can see how wizards deal with the day to day. Watching relationships seemed like a good idea. I have been taking what works for most people, asking myself if it would fit Hermione and then adapting it to fit us."

"Not a bad plan. Just make sure you don't forget the step where you think about her, okay?"

"I'll try not to forget."

They both turned to the door when they heard a chuckle. "It seems you can grow up, cousin." Narcissa stood at the door smiling at them. "That was surprisingly good for someone who constantly broke hearts as a student."

Sirius blushed. "I wasn't that bad."

"Yes, you were. Harry, I think you have a good plan. Just know that Hermione is proud and may not let you off easily. If she doesn't accept your apology, keep at it. She cares, but when our pride is hurt, or our heart, we women tend to hold grudges."

Harry nodded seriously. "I didn't mean to…"

"I know, Harry, and she will too. She just might not admit it to herself. Giver her time, but don't give up."

"I won't. Is tomorrow too soon?"

"No, it will be your first face to face. You need to try the minute you see her." She smiled when he nodded. "Now, are you packed? We leave for the station early tomorrow so I want you to have everything ready to go tonight."

"Almost done," Harry smiled slightly. "I just have to put a few things in."

"Is everything organized?"

"Yes. If it wasn’t, I would get a lecture from my girlfriend."

"Alright, then you should pack the last of your things and then head to bed. We will have an early morning tomorrow." She smiled serenely when Harry nodded and moved off the bed, the last few important items in his hands, ready to pack.

\---

Narcissa Black, my, it was wonderful to think of herself that way again, was approaching happiness. She honestly did not know the last time she was actually happy. Draco made her happy and she had happy memories with her son, but there had been a shadow inside her for years that marred that happiness. Lucius Malfoy had taken the shine off of her happiness a long time ago. Now, perhaps she could find it again.

The kids would be returning to Hogwarts the next morning and she was going to miss them. It was nice to have other kids to look after. Her heart had been lost to Draco the moment she felt that flutter inside her, somehow that love grew when she held him in her arms. Narcissa had a great deal of love to give, she had always wanted children, dreamed of having more than one, so she could shower them all with love. She showered her son in love, but also taught him what was right. Motherhood suited her.

Having Harry and Fay in the house was starting to look like her dream. Harry had never had a strong mother figure, well, not since his mother died, so he was starved for a female authority figure. Fay, whose parents had abandoned her because of Greyback, was in desperate need of a woman in her life. She was at that age when things started changing. Unfortunately, she had yet to experience this, Narcissa hoped her first monthly happened when she was home from school so she would have someone mature to turn to. That first time was so much easier when you had your mother there to hold your hand. Narcissa wanted to harm Fay's mother for what she did for this alone. The teen years were hard enough without losing your family.

She sighed happily as she made her way to the drawing room. Draco was packed, Harry was nearly packed and she had helped Fay with the last of her packing that afternoon. Some women made getting more than one child to the train look hard, with proper planning, it wasn't hard at all.

Stepping into the drawing room, her step faltered seeing the room occupied. Remus and Severus were sitting, drinking what looked like Whiskey, and glaring at the fire. She was not expecting Remus; he had said he would be staying either at Hogwarts or at the Hogsmeade house after the staff meeting. She had hoped he would choose to stay at the Hogsmeade house with Aria. Severus was the ultimate surprise. She and Draco had seen him over the break. The visit was brief, but had eased Draco's worries immensely. However, considering his past with the 'Marauders,' Sirius in particular, she would have never expected to see him at Grimmauld Place.

"I'm sorry gentlemen, I didn't know anyone else was here. I will just take my tea in the library."

"Please," Severus groaned, "don't let our foul mood deter you."

"You could join us," Remus lifted the decanter. "Once you hear why we're drinking, I am sure you would agree it's necessary."

She looked from Remus to Severus, taking in their moods. Remus was a generally calm man. He didn't do heightened emotions, at least not in comparison to Sirius. He was the voice of reason for the pranksters that seemed to dominate her life now. Now he was scowling and his eyes were more gold than green. She had noticed this only happened when he was angry or on the two or three days around the full moon. His wolf was close to the surface. The fact that Severus was frowning was nothing new. The glare in his eyes was also common. What worried her was the tension in his jaw and neck. He was holding his emotions tightly, so that he didn't explode.

With her eyes locked on Severus' she sank into an armchair. "Will whatever is causing you distress affect my son?"

"Yes." Severus answered her without preamble. He waited a moment before continuing. "I assume you have heard about Greyback's attacks."

"Yes. Sirius and Remus have been exceptionally angry about the whole thing." Her eyes darted to Remus and back. "Remus and Aria are both planning on tracking him down if he doesn't come to them."

Severus nodded slightly. "What you don't know is that the Ministry is aware of Greyback's endgame. There was evidence left at one of the scenes that indicated that Mister Potter, Black and Remus were the targets of his ire."

Narcissa closed her eyes in distress. Harry did not need this. "What have Fudge and that horrid woman done now?"

"That idiot is placing Dementors around the grounds of Hogwarts." Remus's voice was tight with barely contained rage.

"He what?" Narcissa held her anger as tightly as she could. She did not let her emotions control her. "What does he hope to accomplish by doing that? Does he think the Dementors will actually have any effect on Greyback? As far as I know, werewolves can withstand the Dementors' effects much longer than wizards, it's why the Dementors were often paired with the werewolves when the Dark Lord attacked."

Remus chuckled darkly, it surprised Narcissa. Hearing that from Severus, expected, from Remus, completely out of character. "You would be correct, Narcissa. The wolf mind provides a barrier against the Dementors. There is still an effect, but it is lessened to a great degree, so werewolves can function while they are around. The defense is almost nonexistent while they are human, but Greyback will attack at the full moon so their presence will do nothing but deter our reinforcements."

"Is the Minister aware of this?"

"He should be. There was an article published about it by an Asian Defense Master. The Japanese Ministry always shares such findings with other ministries."

"If he did not have that, he would have had warnings from Amelia Bones."

"What do you plan to do?"

"The Heads of House and Remus will be at the station when the students disembark and watch their reactions. Those students who are most affected will be offered lessons in how to produce the Patronus Charm if we think they are old enough and deemed capable."

"I will have a large supply of chocolate on hand. Every student will have at least a bite of chocolate before they get to the castle."

"I suppose that is all you can do. Perhaps I should approach Fudge. I may not be married to Lucius any longer, but I am still a Black and Sirius and I will be placing ourselves at the forefront of the political mind in the coming months."

"It would not be a bad idea. I doubt he will listen, but perhaps you could approach him with the article about the Dementors effects on werewolves."

"I will set up a meeting with him. If I am right, he will be anxious to meet with me, so I should have a meeting by Tuesday at the latest."

Remus downed the last of his drink and stood. "I'm going to head back to Hogsmeade. I need to go through my chocolate stores and see how much I need to buy. I want to get that done before the Dementors show. I need to be present when they are placed around the grounds. I'll map the placement and the number."

"I will be there as well. I do not like having those things so close. The more I know, the better."

"Good night, Narcissa. Severus, I will see you tomorrow." He looked to Severus, then turned his gaze back to Narcissa. "Feel free to come by the Hogsmeade house anytime you wish."

"Good bye, Remus. Please visit once and awhile, I can't be the only person trying to keep my cousin under control. Take care of the kids." The last she said in a whisper.

Remus nodded toward the others and stepped through the Floo.

"How are you, Narcissa?"

She smiled softly at him. He had always been a good friend to her. "If you ignore the fact that my son and a number of children I have come to care about are going to be around Dementors then I am wonderful. It is as if a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Being freed of Lucius's poor choices is a relief and I can honestly say it makes me happy knowing I no longer have to listen to him."

"I am glad the change has been positive. I know you have been unhappy with him for a long time."

She nodded. "It was never a love match, but at the time I thought we could at least learn to enjoy our life together. My marriage wasn't all bad, but it was marred by the loss of our daughter. Had that affected him the way it did me, perhaps we could have made it work; but when Draco was born it was as if our daughter was never even a possibility."

Severus grabbed her hand. "If I could have done something…"

She squeezed his hand, "I know, Severus, I know. But that curse is damaging to a healthy, strong adult, a child still growing within its mother didn't stand a chance."

"I did ask him if it was wise to bring you, but he did not take my council at the time. I was too new and too entrenched in my potions for him to trust my judgement."

"Knowing that you did try to prevent me meeting him brings me a modicum of peace. No one, but Abraxas and the Dark Lord held sway over him at the time; now it is even worse. He occasionally takes advice, but will only do something suggested if he agrees." She looked at their joined hands. "Will you continue to be there for Draco? Will you continue to be my friend despite my split from Lucius?"

"I will always be your friend, Narcissa. I would never leave Draco; it has always been my goal to try to teach him to look beyond what his father said. Now, I know we can help him find the man he wants to be, the man he should be. I did not continue my association with your family for Lucius. I did it for one of the few friends I had. As you know it is extremely difficult for me to trust, I would not abandon the one I am closest to just because she is no longer married." He waited until he was sure she was looking at his eyes, "If you ever need me, I will be there."

"Thank you, Sev."

\---

Sirius Black stood watching. He knew he shouldn't be listening in but he couldn't look away. He had never seen this side of Narcissa. He had never seen this sort of tenderness from Snape.

Narcissa had always been controlled; as all Black children were instructed to be, he had always loved her because she was kind to him but she was still a Black.

Severus had always been emotionless and guarded; as all Slytherin students ended up.

Andromeda had told him Narcissa was less Black than she seemed.

Lily told him there were reasons for the mask Snape wore.

Sirius Black had done a lot of growing since he was put in Azkaban. He had done even more growing up since he was released. He had thought he had finally found that level of maturity that his friends wanted him to find, but he had been wrong. Listening to his cousin and former enemy, he realized that he would probably never stop growing.

Perhaps it was time to start acting more like an adult and less like a Marauder.

**Hogsmeade**

Remus and Aria were walking down the main street of Hogsmeade, each carrying a large bag of chocolate, when they felt it.

There was a werewolf in the area.

Their heads flew to the right, focusing in on the alley between two businesses. Remus dropped the bag of chocolate and placed himself in front of the small redhead, his wand at the ready. Aria dropped her own bag of chocolate and fumbled for her wand while gripping his arm with her free hand.

Aria gasped as a woman with gray hair stepped from the alley, her hands in the air as a sign of peace.

"What are you doing here?"

A small smile graced her face as she took in Aria. "I am glad you found him." Her eyes focused on Remus and the smile faded away. "I am not here to bring harm to you, the village or the school. I am here for your benefit."

"Speak," Remus said shortly, not allowing his guard down despite the fact that he felt Aria relax behind him.

"Do you know who I am?"

He nodded. "I know who you are and who you were."

"Then you know, that I know Fenrir better than most."

"Why should I trust you when I know what you were to him?"

"Because he left me. Because I can't stand what he does to those he turns. Because what he does makes life more difficult for the rest of us. Because his actions have managed to taint the love I had for him."

"She led me to you, Remus. I think you can trust her."

"I will hear you."

"He will come during the full moon in either May or June." She closed her eyes and swallowed. "When he comes, there are those among the pack that will stand with you. They can no longer follow his directive. I can no longer turn a blind eye. I will stand against the man I love to end this cycle of pain."


	17. Cold

**Hogwarts Express**

Hermione Granger was hiding. Logically, she knew she was acting ridiculous, but emotions don't always follow logic. She loved Harry as a friend and thought she might be falling in love with him as a boy, but her track record with people hurting her, disappointing her, was long and painful. For some illogical reason she just couldn't shake the pain and embarrassment caused by Harry standing her up.

So, Hermione was hiding. She had shown up early, extremely early and sequestered herself into a compartment at the very front of the train. Their group tended to sit in the back third of the train because of the twins and their aversion to Prefects, so she didn't expect them to find her there. As an added deterrent she had warded the door to the compartment; it wasn't the best ward, but it would hold off her year mates.

It was for this reason that Hermione was shocked when the door opened and Draco Malfoy was standing in the doorway. 

"How did you…?"

Draco smirked, "You're the best in our year, Hermione, but that doesn't mean you are better than the Head Boy." He looked over his shoulder. "Thanks, Percy. I think I can manage from here. If I don't make any progress, I'll come get you."

Hermione stared wide eyed as Draco stepped into her compartment, closed the door behind him and sat across from her.

"You know, the person I was a year ago would be cheering you on right now."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." His statement caused her genuine confusion.

Draco shook his head. "A year ago, even six months ago, I was an arrogant ponce who did everything he could to tear people down because that's what my father said they deserved. As I'm sure you noticed, my favorite target was Harry Potter. By my father's reasoning, Harry Potter should not be famous, he should not be more popular than me; he should not be anything. I made it my mission to make him miserable, in the hope that I would hold more influence over our year group than he did." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I am embarrassed to say I enjoyed getting him riled up. However, now I am listening to my mother and have reevaluated my life. I have come to realize my father claimed to be more than he was. He lied, he cheated, he ignored. My father is not the consummate businessman like he would have you believe."

"No offense, but what does that have to do with me?"

"Hermione, if I was still that berk, I would be congratulating you for making Harry more miserable than I ever could." He let that sink in. "Until very recently Harry's life was limited to Ron Weasley, Hagrid, his owl and you. He didn't have very positive relationships with anyone else and, as I suspected, his home life was horrible. If I could have, I would have driven a wedge between one of you and him."

Hermione felt her eyes widen and that familiar sting in her eyes that suggested she was about to cry.

Draco didn't let her speak. "I am going to tell you why Harry missed your date. He would tell you himself, if you let him speak, that it isn't a good excuse, but it is all he had. As you well know, Fred and George have been spending a lot of time at Grimmauld Place. Additionally, Sirius and the twins start prank wars on a disturbingly regular basis. On the second, Fred, George and Sirius managed to drag Harry, Fay and me into the prank war and not by choice. They started the war by targeting us instead of each other. We tried hiding, but Sirius had locked down the library. Our only option was to fight back or end up looking like the love child of Lockhart, Dumbledore and Umbridge; you don't know who Umbridge is, but all you need to know is she is horrible in every way. None of us had lunch. None of us even realized that lunch had come and gone. We didn't come up for air until Remus came home and said dinner would be on the table soon.

"Harry went white. He froze instantly and we didn't know what was going on. Fred and George were all set to take him to St. Mungo's because he started hyperventilating. We managed to get him calmed down before Sirius saw him, but he was on edge all night. He wanted to call instantly, but knew you spent evenings with your aunt who doesn't know about magic."

Hermione sniffled. "I messed up, didn't I?"

"Pansy Parkinson said you were her favorite person in the world because you managed to kick Harry while he was down."

"What do I do?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Get out of this compartment and go talk to him. Let him apologize and explain and then I think you need to apologize and explain; that is if you want to fix your relationship with him."

Hermione stood and then leaned toward Draco. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I like the Draco Malfoy you have become. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Hermione. Now, go fix Harry or my mother will hear about it and you really don't want to be on her bad side. She is terrifying when it comes to protecting her kids. Don't mistake it, my mother has adopted Harry and Fay, so she will be just as fierce when defending them."

She smiled slightly and walked quickly out of the compartment. She had a relationship to fix.

\---

Harry Potter was moping, at least that's what Fay called it. He would have called it brooding. He hadn't seen Hermione yet, which meant she was avoiding him. She would have had to get to the station ridiculously early as he had gotten there early to ensure he didn't miss her. But he had missed her.

The other Gryffindors were giving him a wide berth due to his dark mood. The only one brave enough to sit with him was Neville. Fay had given up trying to cheer him up twenty minutes into the ride. The quidditch team had lasted thirty minutes combined. Lavender left about a minute after seeing him; Parvati didn't even step into the compartment. He hadn't seen Dean or Seamus, so he guessed someone had warned them not to go near him.

He was sure he had hurt Hermione's feelings; she had said so and he had guessed it. If she had stood him up, it would have hurt. However, if she stood him up, he was sure he would have at least given her a chance to explain. The fact that she was avoiding him and not letting him attempt to fix his mistake was killing him. He was fairly certain her avoidance hurt him more than being stood up would have. Harry would have never expected this kind of treatment from her.

The door banging open caused the two boys to jump in their seats.

An extremely frazzled and panicked looking Hermione Granger stood panting in the entryway. Her eyes locked on Harry and she pounced. Her arms wrapped around him tightly and she kissed him on the lips, long and hard.

"I am so sorry, Harry." She buried her head in his neck when she released his lips. "I don't know what came over me. I know you; you would never stand me up on purpose. I should have let you explain. I shouldn't have hung up on you. I shouldn't have buried the mirror under all of my clothes so I didn't hear you calling me. I shouldn't have hidden myself in a warded compartment. Will you ever forgive me? What can I do to make it up to you? Do you still like me? Do you still want to be my boyfriend? I really like being your girlfriend. If you don't want to continue dating, will you at least try to be my friend?"

Harry pulled back and placed his hand over her mouth silencing her. "I'm sorry too. Sirius, Fred and George took over the house and dragged almost every one into a prank war. I completely lost track of time. It's not a good excuse, but it's all I have." He swallowed and continued, "I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, but, Hermione, you ignoring me hurt my feelings too. I didn't forget on purpose, so it really hurt that you have been avoiding me for two days."

"I'm so sorry. It was wrong…"

"You said that already. Hermione, if you want to keep dating then I want to keep dating. I really like you and I don't want to lose you. Being your boyfriend is so important to me."

"I feel the same."

"Good. Then I think we should promise to talk to each other. We don't ignore each other when we are upset or angry."

"Agreed." She snuggled deeper into him. "I really like you too, Harry."

He smiled as he buried his face in her hair.

"You two are cute." The pair looked up to find Neville smiling at them. "I agree that you need to talk when something is bothering you. When you ignore each other, you are both mopey and irritating. Harry cleared a compartment just by staring out the window forlornly."

"Shut up, Neville."

He just grinned as his two best friends held each other close, taking comfort in being close to someone they held dear.

**Hogwarts Grounds**

Albus, Remus and Severus stood at the gates of Hogwarts watching as an army of soulless beasts approached the school. They were led by half a dozen Aurors and the Minister. The three could feel the cold permeating their bones, a cold so very different than the one caused by the freezing January weather. A cold no warming charm could fight.

Cornelius Fudge stepped forward; hand extended toward Albus Dumbledore. "Albus, you didn't need to welcome me. I could have taken care of this without dragging you away from whatever it is you do up there."

"I could not allow you to do this without my presence, Cornelius. The professors and I are here to ensure the Dementors are well away from the students. We need to know exactly how many there are and where they are placed."

"My team would have given you that data."

"We insist on being present, Minister."

Fudge sighed. "Very well. I have brought just under half of the Dementors from Azkaban. There will be one hundred stationed here until Greyback is dealt with."

"You are aware, Minister, that werewolves transformed by the full moon are not affected by Dementors in the same way a wizard is." Remus spoke quietly, his anger held tightly so that it did not seep into his voice. "Dementors hardly slow the wolf. Greyback will run right by them, barely shivering."

"Nonsense, there is no proof to your theory."

Remus tried to hold back a glare. "It has been tested outside of Britain, Minister. I was part of a team that tested whether or not Dementors affected transformed werewolves or not. Our conclusion was clear; the werewolf mind is a natural barrier against the debilitating effects of Dementors."

"I have never heard of such a study. Bring me proof and I will look into it."

"The research was submitted and the Japanese government relayed this information to all magical governments."

Fudge chuckled. "Now, my boy. The Japanese are flighty and are rarely correct. I am so sorry you were bamboozled by them. The only counter to Dementors is the Patronus charm. A transformed werewolf cannot cast any magic, let alone such a difficult charm."

Albus jumped in before Remus lost his temper. "I hope you are correct, Cornelius, but if you are wrong and Greyback is essentially unaffected by Dementors then we have a problem."

"I am not wrong, Albus. My decision is final. The Dementors will guard our children until the threat of Greyback is neutralized. Simmons!"

An older man stepped forward. He was hunched and his eyes were dead. He looked like someone who had completely given up on the idea of happiness.

Fudge handed him a medallion. "Walk the perimeter of the wards. Position the Dementors as we discussed and ensure they do not cross the wards." The man nodded and started walking to the left. "Simmons is in charge of the Dementors at Azkaban. The Aurors you see with me deal with the Dementors regularly so have a sort of immunity toward their effects; well I suppose it is less of an immunity and more that they are just used to feeling cold and unhappy."

"Severus, Remus," Albus spoke quietly, "follow Mister Simmons and map the locations to your satisfaction." The two younger men set off, Remus casually handing the darker man a hunk of chocolate as they went.

"I will say this only once, Cornelius. If there is a single incident where a Dementor crosses the wards when there is no threat, then they are gone. They will not cross the wards and come near the children. I will not allow the students to be subject to this kind of torture while on school grounds. It is bad enough they will feel even a moment of that kind of despair at Hogsmeade station."

"They will not cross the wards unless they are apprehending Greyback. You have my word on that."

"One instance, Cornelius." Albus held his gaze, but said no more.

Cornelius Fudge wilted under Albus' intense gaze. "Well, a Minister's job is never done. Must get back to the office. I am leaving Carrington in Hogsmeade in order to monitor the Dementors. He will be staying at the Three Broomsticks if you need him. Good day, Albus." A moment later Fudge was walking briskly down the path, only to pop away a moment later.

**Hogsmeade**

"Why is it so cold all of a sudden?"

Aria looked to the older woman. She stood huddled next to the fire, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. "The Ministry is placing Dementors around the wards of Hogwarts. They must have just arrived."

She turned, her gray eyes flashing gold for a moment. "Why would they do such a foolish thing?"

"Greyback."

She raised an eyebrow and pulled her silver hair behind her shoulder. "What does Fenrir have to do with them placing foul beasts around a school?"

"They are trying to catch him. This was their solution."

"Dementors will not slow him. He will attack as a wolf."

"I know that. Remus knows that. The Headmaster knows that. The Minister either does not care or did not listen."

"Did anyone argue?"

"I do not know. Remus said the Headmaster claimed he had no say in the matter. Remus plans to talk to the Minister today. He fears the Minister will ignore him because the only proof he has of their inadequacy is research done by the Japanese. Minister Fudge tends to ignore research conducted off British soil."

The old woman sighed. "That is true. He is always behind the other nations on such matters."

"Narcissa, the woman staying with Remus's friend, was planning to talk to him, perhaps she will convince him this is a poor idea."

"Narcissa Malfoy?"

"Well, it's Black now, but yes."

"If anyone could talk that man out of this idiotic plan it would be her. Fudge loves Malfoys."

They let the silence take over. It was a comfortable silence. Tabitha Greyback, the woman who had married Fenrir Greyback many years ago, was a strong woman. She was tall, though everyone was tall compared to Aria. She topped at 5'10" and was slim. Tabitha must have had a lean, muscular build in her glory days because she still looked strong despite her advancing age. Aria knew she was in her late fifties or early sixties; she looked incredible for her age. The transformation was hard on the body and prematurely aged those tied to the moon. Wolfsbane helped so Aria would not age as fast, but it would still age her. She hoped she looked half as good when she reached the kind woman’s age.

"Are you happy, child?"

Aria smiled a soft, contented smile. "I think I am."

"Not so prepared to die anymore, are you?"

"No. I don't want to die. It's not even a possibility anymore. I will do all I can to keep what I have for a very long time."

Tabitha's eyes travelled to the pictures over the mantle. "He didn't smile much as a child. He looks happy in these pictures too."

"I think he is happy. Sirius said he has never seen Remus this free. He has never seen him this relaxed. I don't know what is causing it, but his newfound joy in life is spreading to those around him. Even when he is angry, there is still an air of contentment about him."

Tabitha picked up a picture and studied it closely. It was a picture taken at Christmas. Remus and Aria stood under a sprig of floating mistletoe. She smiled as she watched Remus shake his head in amusement before his lips fell on Aria's. It was a sweet kiss, a sincere kiss. "I think you make him happy." She placed the picture back on the mantle and grabbed another. "You and these children."

Aria stood and walked to the older werewolf. She studied the picture Tabitha held and smiled. Remus was holding Harry and Fay, one tucked on each side of him. All three smiled at the camera before smiling at each other. "He has loved Harry since the day James Potter placed Harry in his arms. Fay is new to his life, but she is just as dear to him."

"She is the one Fenrir changed in August, isn't she?"

Aria sucked in a breath. "You can't tell anyone," she said fearfully.

"I won't say a word without your Alpha's permission."

"Thank you."

"Do not let him slip through your fingers, my dear. I have watched many wolves in my time and I know the signs of a good match. You are no Alpha, not on your own, but you do have what it takes to be an Alpha's mate. Your wolf is drawn to him, you and I both know it, but it is not drawn to him simply because he is an Alpha."

"No, she isn't just drawn to the power of the Alpha. She is drawn to him because he holds the same values as she does. Our wolves prefer the civilization Wolfsbane allows us. We have bonded with the wolves so they do not lay dormant, they are always there."

"You are stronger for it."

"Yes, I think we are."

Tabitha sighed. "I didn't bring this up before but three were bitten at the last full moon. It didn't reach the papers because Amelia Bones is holding the information tightly. She is attempting to hide Fenrir's worst antics to keep the public calm. I approach every bite victim to offer them help in their transformations. One took my offer of help and will join Fenrir's pack. The other two wanted to know if there were other options."

"What did you tell them?"

"I told them of O'Connell's pack. I also brought up America and the French pack. One seemed interested in the Irish pack, but the other loves Britain but does not trust Fenrir. I did say I might have another option for them but I had to talk to the Alpha as he wasn't 'out' about his status. I will be helping both find accommodations outside Fenrir's knowledge for as long as I can, but I would like to talk to you and Remus about offering the young men a new home."

"You should really talk to Remus about this. He is my Alpha; I can't make a decision for him."

"I wouldn't want you to. I can't stay long; I need to be leaving tomorrow but I do want him to think about it in the time I am away. I would like you to at least tell him for me."

"Tell me all you can. I will speak to him this weekend."

"Thank you."

"When will you return?"

"I hope to be back before the next full moon but if not before then I will return the weekend after the full moon."

"Can I contact you if we make a decision?"

"Your man has ways of contacting others without owls. Tell him to send me a Patronus if he needs me before I return. Now, I am hungry and this cold is making my bones ache. I am making soup; would you like some?"

Aria smiled and followed the woman out of the room. She was beginning to love the woman.

**Hogsmeade Station**

It was cold. January was always cold in the Scottish Highlands but, somehow, it felt colder. The cold seemed to come from inside. Harry's bones were cold. His brain was cold. His heart was cold.

As he stepped off the train he looked around. Everyone was moving slowly, warily. Hermione clutched his hand tightly while she burrowed into his side. He could feel her shivers.

"Why is it so cold all of a sudden?" Neville stood on Harry's other side; he too was shivering.

"I don't know." Harry leaned into Hermione slightly. "Does anyone else feel depressed? I have been happy all day, well I have been happy since Hermione and I talked, but now I feel like happiness is a memory."

"I know, I should feel happy but I just feel so sad."

The trio made their way down the platform toward the carriages. They could see some of the professors standing at the end of the platform. It looked like they were handing something out.

_NO._

Harry blinked. Who had that been?

As they approached the professors, they spied a tall cloaked figure standing separate from everyone else. The figure made Harry shiver.

_Not Harry._

"Did you say something?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. Are you okay?"

_Take me instead._

Harry shook his head. His vision was getting blurry and his legs felt weak.

_Please. Not my son. Not Harry._

"Harry?" Hermione clutched his arm tightly. "Neville, something is wrong."

"Why is he shaking so badly?"

"I don't know. Harry, can you hear me? Are you alright?"

Harry was shaking violently. It was so cold. He was so cold. Who was that talking?

_Avada Kedavra!_

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Suddenly, it didn't feel so cold anymore. Harry blinked as a silver deer; no, a silver doe circled him. She made him feel warm, happy. He reached out his free hand, trying to touch her in thanks, but she bounded off toward the dark figure looming near the platform.

"Are you alright, Harry?"

Harry focused on the speaker. Remus stood in front of them, concern painted across his face. "I feel okay now. It was just so cold. Who was that talking? Is she okay?"

"I'm okay, Harry." Hermione leaned her head on his shoulder.

"No, she sounded far away. Someone was threatening her. I couldn't hear him, but she begged him to take her instead. Didn't you hear her?"

"We didn't hear anyone, mate."

"Here, I want each of you to eat a bit of chocolate. Trust me, it will help." Remus handed chocolate to the three third years. "Come on, let's get you into a carriage."

Remus led the three toward the remaining carriages.

Harry wasn't sure when all the student's left. Had he blacked out? Draco was standing next to Professor Snape, pale and shaky.

Fred, George and Percy were standing next to Professor McGonagall. The Head Girl, Penelope Clearwater, was standing with Flitwick. The twins looked a bit worse for wear, Penny and Percy just looked cold and concerned.

"Are you alright, Mister Potter?" Professor McGonagall stepped forward, looking at him closely.

"I think so. I just want to get out of the cold."

"Right. Why don't you three join Mister Malfoy in this carriage? Miss Clearwater will share a carriage with the Weasleys."

The eight students piled into two carriages, all glad to be heading toward the castle.

**Severus Snape's Quarters**

Severus sat staring into the dancing flames that warmed his room. He could not wait for the day to be over.

It was well past the time he should have retired, but he knew sleep would elude him. Dementors were foul creatures when they were brought up in conversation; they were one hundred times worse when experienced. He had forgotten, as strange as that was. When he felt them earlier that day it was like the first time.

His Occlumency shields had been in place the entire time, but they had done little to protect him from the cold and unhappiness. It had been worse for him and those like him. Dementors fed on happiness. When you had little to be happy about, the pain and misery filled your entire being. Those with the worst memories often relived those moments.

When someone knocked on his door, he flicked his wrist, allowing the door to swing open. Moments later, Remus Lupin slumped into an armchair across from him, a bottle of whiskey in his hands.

"Can I pour you a drink?"

Severus nodded, but continued staring into the roaring fire.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"For some reason, I don't think your definition of fine is the same as mine." Remus took a sip of his drink, studying the other man. "Has it always been a doe?"

Severus closed his eyes momentarily. "Yes, it has always been a doe."

"She cared for you, she just loved him."

"I have spent a great deal of time searching my thoughts, Remus. I loved her. That love had many different meanings for me, but ultimately, I loved her because she was my best friend. She was the first friend I ever had and I would have given anything to have her as my friend until the day I died."

Remus couldn't help but agree. He would have given anything to have his friends beside him now. He would have given anything to have gone with them. Of course that would mean he wouldn't be there for Harry and Sirius. He wouldn't have Fay. He wouldn't have the possibility of a future with Aria.

"How many students?" Remus changed the subject, knowing Severus would not talk about her any longer.

"Thirty-six. Two Hufflepuffs, seven Ravenclaws, nineteen Slytherins and eight Gryffindors."

"That is the same number I got. What about the students that stayed at the school?"

"I would only add two to that number, Miss Weasley and one more Hufflepuff."

"How many do you think could manage the training it would take to possibly produce a Patronus?"

"Half a dozen of them. None of the Puffs, two of them are second years and the third is a fifth year, but is not the most gifted magically. One Claw, the sixth year is both powerful enough and determined enough to at least produce a mist. Four Slytherins, all six and seventh years. One Gryffindor, the seventh year."

"I want to offer to train Harry, the twins and Draco."

"I won't argue. I will officially present those six, but unofficially I want to try to train the four you mentioned. The other staff would probably not like us introducing such complicated magic to third years and would be horrified we thought the twins were mature enough. I'm horrified I think the twins are mature enough."

"Do you wish to train them because you think they can handle it or because you feel guilty you allowed them to join you in the chamber?"

"Some of both. The strongest reason is the guilt. I allowed them to accompany us because I knew they would find a way to follow and I assumed they could help keep Harry in check. In all actuality, I think Harry kept them focused. But it was my decision to allow them to come. So it is because of me that they encountered the Basilisk. It was my decision that allowed them to meet a teenaged Dark Lord. They saw their sister unconscious and near death because I allowed it."

"They do not blame you, Severus. If anything, they would thank you. I did not know the twins before the incident, but I have spoken to them about what they did for Harry. They admitted they knew something was wrong long before the end of the last school year but they didn't do much about it. Seeing what they saw in the Chamber woke something in them. They still see the world as they always have, an opportunity, but they no longer ignore the unpleasantness that crops up. Seeing their sister lying on the stone floor, not responding to anything, was a wakeup call. Fred and George decided that they could no longer ignore the things that bothered them."

"I would have never expected that they would change so much. To most, there is little change, but the teachers and those closest to them see it."

"Eventually, everyone grows up." Remus shook his head. "No, I guess it is more that everyone experiences something that forces them to grow up. Not everyone uses that experience but, those who do, are better for it. For some, it requires a number of life changing experiences. The twins saw the Chamber for what it was, their sign to grow up."

"And Sirius let those chances go without even considering them."

Remus cringed. "You aren't wrong. There were a number of times Sirius should have started to grow up. Almost killing both of us wasn't even the first. Losing James and Lily should have been the last. It took having his life stolen from him to start the process. I think he only just realized that growing up isn't an instant thing."

"I don't know that I will ever be able to completely trust him. I probably won't ever like him either."

"I think he knows that. He will try to prove to you that you can trust him; the only thing he really wants you to trust him with is Harry. Sirius talked to Moony after you left on the last full moon, he seemed ridiculously excited by the fact that you might not hate him. Azkaban has taught him that life is not black and white like he convinced himself it was when we were students. It was a hard lesson, but he did finally learn it."

"What is going on with you and the little redheaded werewolf?" Severus asked after a few minutes of silence.

Remus blinked, utterly shocked. "Are you gossiping?"

"I merely wanted to know if you had finally gotten over your self-pitying attitude toward relationships due to your werewolf status."

"You, Severus Snape Potions Master and consummate Slytherin, are gossiping."

"And you, Remus Lupin, are avoiding the question."

Remus squirmed under Severus's steady gaze. "I see what you did there."

Severus just raised an eyebrow.

"I never expected you to ever want to talk about something like that. Sirius, absolutely. Narcissa, of course. Sirius is lonely and likes putting his nose in everyone's business. Narcissa is female and likes to mother everyone. Fay wants us to be a family so she has been making very obvious hints. Harry and Hermione think we would be perfect for each other because we understand each other, so they make slightly less obvious hints. Fred and George are Fred and George so they attempt to prank us in ways that infer we are meant to be. I never expected you to even bring up the subject."

"Perhaps I bring up the subject to inquire whether it is difficult for you. Your werewolf is obviously infatuated with her wolf. If you do not agree, it could be quite difficult. I ask merely to understand from a research standpoint."

"Sure you do."

"If you won't answer then I will give you some advice." Severus put his glass down and leaned toward the other man. "If you feel something for her, do not wait. Anything can happen in life and with all that is going on outside this school, I suspect dark times are approaching faster than any of us thought. You have already lost people to the wars of wizards. If you have a chance at happiness with someone else, take it. You will regret it if you let it slip through your fingers."

Remus studied Severus. They had never been friends. James, Sirius and Peter had made sure of that. Heck, he allowed it to happen so he was as much to blame as they were. He had regretted his actions at school, he regretted them more now. "That goes both ways. You lost your chance with Lily. Are you going to lose your chance with the only other woman who has ever been important to you?"

"We are a pair. I think we have both mastered subject avoidance."

"That we have."

"Are you going to let her slip away?"

"No. I know Greyback is coming. I know Greyback wants to hurt me, emotionally and physically, so he will go after all I care for whether I admit I care or not." Remus ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't do serious relationships because I never believed that anyone could accept the wolf. I don't have that excuse with her. It scares me that I might get what I always told myself was impossible. I told myself I didn't deserve it. The wolf is wild, especially when there is no Wolfsbane to temper the most primal of instincts."

"But you, Remus, are not wild. You are not primal and you are not dangerous. Though I would never have admitted it back then, I understood you. You did what your friends did. You didn't argue because you didn't want them to reject you. Though I wouldn't have called them my friends, I did the same things. I never agreed with what they said about muggleborns because of Lily, but I went along with it because I didn't want to become a target in my own house. I understand you fearing what the wolf would do to any relationship you had, but with Wolfsbane that shouldn't be an issue. Even if it was an issue for some people, it would never be an issue for Aria. Don't regret it."

"I don't know how to even bring it up."

Severus chuckled. "I am fairly certain all you would have to do is kiss her and she would take care of the rest. From what little I saw, she has been less than subtle in making her interest known."

"What about you?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"She isn't married anymore."

"She is my friend. When I was just pulled into the fold, still studying for my Mastery, she was a source of calm and understanding. We bonded as neither of us was in the inner circle. She was outside by choice; I was outside as I had not proven myself. What few understand is that Narcissa is a brilliant woman. She has more knowledge than most men. She studied all she could because she never wanted to be caught by surprise."

"That is a very Black trait."

"Yes, I suppose it is, but she did it better than all of the others. Bella just turned her wand on you if she felt you lorded knowledge over her. Andromeda played her part, but fled when she met Ted Tonks. Sirius did everything he could to reject his family, so he learned only what he felt was necessary. Regulus tried to be the perfect child, but he floundered under the pressure. Narcissa succeeded and managed to hide it from everyone. She often surprised me with the knowledge she held."

"Is that when you fell for her? We saw you look at her in school, many did as she was a true beauty, but at the time you still had Lily. It was later, when people would see you at functions with the Malfoys. Lily said she wished that life was kinder to you. She gave the impression that you cared deeply for Narcissa."

"I will not rush her, Remus. I cared then more as a friend. She was deliriously happy to find herself pregnant, but then she lost the baby because of the man I followed. Having Draco brought some of that back but she was always guarded. Her loss was the first indicator that I made a mistake. Lily being a target was my wake-up call. I will be there for her if she needs me but I will not push her."

"Don't let her wallow. If she gives you any indication, take your chance."

"Sage advice you should take yourself."

"I will be taking it. You are right. Dark times are coming and I can't live my life in fear of it. If we survive this, we do it together. If we don't survive, then we will not regret for we will have filled the time we had with everything we dreamed of."

**Defense Classroom**

Remus, Severus and Filius stood studying the students before them. They had already spoken to those students who they felt needed a defense against Dementors and had the power and focus to attempt the Patronus Charm. Now, they were about to offer that protection to students who needed it, but were younger. Harry, Draco and the twins had been invited. Hermione, Neville, Fay and Percy had invited themselves. All three professors were questioning why they hadn't invited Miss Granger initially; she was Harry Potter's best friend and girlfriend. She would learn this whether they taught her or not.

Neville, Fay and Percy were surprises, though perhaps they shouldn't be. All three had been affected but to a lesser degree than the ones they focused on. Fay had not placed on the watch list because Remus and Severus knew that eventually her wolf would aid her. Neville's reaction had been miniscule, but they now realized that was because he was so focused on Harry. Remus wondered if they had even seen his true reaction. Percy Weasley could want to learn for any number of reasons, all of them most likely good reasons.

"I take it you all know why we called you here?"

The group nodded in answer to Remus's question. "Percy and Hermione guessed that you asked to meet with us because of our reactions to the Dementors," Harry said with strength in his voice. He looked determined.

"That is correct. There is one true defense against Dementors. The Patronus Charm is essentially a shield of positivity that can drive away Dementors if strong enough. It is extremely challenging to cast; not because the incantation or wand movements are difficult but because it requires a great deal of focus to cast."

Severus nodded, following Remus's explanation with his own input. "It requires power as well. We do not know if you will be able to achieve this goal, but we are going to give you the chance because four of you have some terrifying memories that the Dementors will bring to the forefront. If your memories are bad enough, they can pull you into them, which will leave you entirely vulnerable."

"We should have realized that at least one of you would insist on joining this lesson." Filius smiled slightly at Hermione. "We are going to allow all of you to join the lessons on one condition. If any of you do not take this seriously you will not be allowed to continue."

"We demand that you try. We will aid you in any way we can but we can only help you so much. Whether you manage this spell will be entirely on your shoulders."

Many young eyes widened at the seriousness of Remus's tone. The only one to hear that tone had been Fay. She heard it when he stood between her and the then unknown werewolf. He was determined to protect.

"I need to know this so I can protect my sister. Ginny isn't ready for something like this, but she is going to react to the Dementors more strongly than I am, possibly stronger than the twins did. She can't do this herself, not yet, so I will do what I can for her while we are both in school."

Fred and George nodded along with their brother. "Fred and I didn't like what we saw when they were around. Seeing Ginny like that is really hard. Keeping those memories from resurfacing is important, but we also want to learn so if they are still around next year, we can help Ginny when Percy is gone."

Fay stepped forward. "I see things I don't like seeing. I don't see them as clearly as others, but I want to learn so I can help my friends."

"I know people think my life has been charmed. I acted the part well. That act is part of what I see. I also see what I fear I may become. I have frightening memories but my fears of the future are far worse for me."

Neville looked from Draco to the professors. "I honestly don't know what my reaction to the Dementors is. Somehow, Harry's reaction blocked out the fear for a few minutes. I do know, from what others have said, that some of my childhood fears qualify for playback. I really don't want to relive almost drowning and getting tossed out the window by my uncle. Knowing how to defend against something like that is also something my parents would have needed to know. They would have learned to help others, so I want to learn."

"I am here for Harry."

Harry stared at his feet. "Am I hearing my mother?"

The room froze. All eyes flew to the green eyed third year.

"What did you hear, Harry?" Remus's voice was soft, concerned.

"She begs someone. Begs him to take her instead. Not Harry. She says it over and over. Not Harry. I only heard his voice once. It was cold and angry. I don't know why I know this, but he was also satisfied when he said the spell. Then everything went green." He shook himself. "Then there was a silver doe standing in front of me and the cold was gone."

"Harry." Remus didn't know what to say.

Filius sniffled and blew his nose.

Severus stepped forward, looking directly into Harry's emerald green eyes. "I suspect you are hearing your mother. I cannot tell you how sorry I am that you are hearing her last moments. What I can say is that you are hearing the best of her. Your mother was a woman of great honor and one who loved unconditionally. Despite what many will tell you, not all mothers will stand between their children and danger. Your mother did. She would have stood between you and every evil the world could conjure. It is a hard thing to hear but it shows the honor that defined your mother."

Harry's eyes were shining. Yes, he had heard his mother's last moments. He heard her beg for his life, not her own. His professor was right. There was no greater honor, no braver act than standing between your child and certain death. "Can you teach me?"

Severus and Harry stared at one another. Severus nodded.

Severus Snape and Harry Potter had reached a new level of respect for one another. A bond formed over the memory of a woman they both cared for. A woman they both missed and would miss every day of their lives.


	18. Silver

**Minister's Office**

Cornelius Fudge was happy. He had feared that with the ending of Lucius's marriage that he would lose Narcissa Black. The Black family was one of the most infamous in their history. To lose her ear would be devastating. When his secretary told him Miss Black had requested a meeting he had cleared his morning; he had to cancel on Lucius but figured cultivating a relationship with the now single woman was much more important.

"Please come in, Narcissa. How are you, dear? I was sorry to hear about your split from Lucius but if you are happy then I am happy for you." He led her to a comfortable chair. "Can I get you anything?"

"Tea would be lovely, Cornelius."

"Of course. Margie, please bring some tea." He called to his secretary; who was actually named Marian. "She will just be a moment. House Elves are not allowed in the offices. They are actually only allowed in the dining area or the main floor, so I can't order it directly."

"Smart thinking. You never know what someone might ask their Elves to do." Narcissa allowed a small smile to cross her face. She was well aware that Elves were restricted to certain areas, it was something one of her Black ancestors had pushed through. Who else would come up with such a paranoid rule? "How are you, Cornelius? Are things alright with that Umbridge woman? Are you planning on keeping her tied to your office despite the issues she has been causing?"

"Ah, yes. Dolores is actually quite good at her job, but she has been making some fairly significant mistakes. Perhaps you would give me your thoughts on what I should do."

"I would distance myself if I were you. She is very vocal and tends to change her opinion when the situation calls for it. Being vocal is not necessarily a bad thing, but if you are vocal you have to be consistent. If you keep her around, I fear she is going to tarnish your record. Her flighty opinions could make the voters think you are unreliable."

Cornelius hummed. Lucius had the opposite advice. Cornelius was leaning toward following Narcissa's advice though. Lucius didn't necessarily think like the everyday voter; Narcissa's thoughts seemed to be closer to what most would think. "I had a feeling her mouth might get her into trouble. Where should I put her though?"

"Records perhaps."

"That is quite the demotion, my dear."

"True, but with her brash attitude you can't place her in international affairs. Games and sports are out as I doubt she knows anything about quidditch or anything else they deal in. Arthur Weasley would not tolerate her for more than an hour, so his department is out and Amelia would kill her before the week is out. You also can't put her in magical creatures because with her experience she would most likely end up as a liaison to one of the magical races and you know how she feels about them. I suppose you could stick her in transportation, but that isn't much better than records."

"What about education?"

She raised a delicate eyebrow, "You would try to put someone in Griselda's department without asking?"

Cornelius paled. No, definitely not a good idea to go that route. "You are right about that. I will have to think on it, but will definitely take your thoughts into consideration. You don't miss much do you?"

"I am a Black. Blacks watch and catalogue so that we are never caught off guard."

Their conversation paused as their tea was served.

"What did you wish to speak to me about?"

"I am concerned about your decision to place Dementors around Hogwarts."

"Now, Narcissa. There are reasons for the placement."

"Yes, I know that Greyback is heading to Hogwarts, perhaps to target Harry Potter. I applaud you for trying to protect the students, but I think Dementors were the wrong choice."

"How did you…"

"I am a Black. I currently live with my cousin Sirius, who is friends with Remus Lupin. I am also rather close to Severus Snape, who is one of Dumbledore's security confidants." Cornelius nodded, that made sense. "My concern lies with the effects they will have on the students. Yes, they will be outside the wards, but the cold and despair will linger. They already encountered them getting off the train and my son had a very poor reaction."

"Werewolves are dangerous. Dementors are about the only thing worse."

"Werewolves are only truly dangerous on the full moon, Cornelius. Dementors are dangerous every moment of every day, of course they are worse." She pulled a file out of her bag and handed it to Cornelius. "This is research I have found on Dementors and how they affect different races. What that will tell you is that Dementors affect humans, Goblin, Elves and Centaurs the same. Mermen are essentially not affected because Dementors do not go under water. They also do not have much of an effect on Werewolves. When a Werewolf is human they are affected just as a muggle or wizard would be, or about as much as someone with good Occlumency shields would be. When they are transformed, however, the effect is nearly nonexistent."

"Who did the original research?"

"A study was done in the United States. A second done in Japan. There is also a theory, one with less proof, done by a British researcher out of the Department of Mysteries. I also found articles from Bulgaria, Russia and Germany."

Cornelius felt himself pale. So much research from so many different sources; he could ignore one but not that many.

"I was present at an attack in the last war with the Dark Lord when Werewolves and Dementors attacked together. I was at dinner with some of my fellow committee heads. The Dementors attacked first, bringing many in the alley to their knees; then the Werewolves charged. The wolves were not hindered as far as I could tell."

Cornelius gulped. "Thank you for bringing this research to my attention. I will have to verify what you have brought me; I am sure you understand."

"Of course," she smiled sweetly, seeing right through his false bravado. "I will leave you to it. I have so much to do." She stood gracefully. "Thank you for seeing me."

"I am always available for you, my dear. Have a lovely day. Give my best to young Draco."

He watched her walk down the corridor, not moving until the elevator doors closed behind her. "Get me Dolores, Marian. I need to see her, NOW."

Marian smiled for two reasons. One, Cornelius Fudge got her name right for the first time in three years. Two, Dolores Umbitch, oops, Umbridge seemed to be in trouble.

**Defense Classroom**

"I was hoping for better results."

"It is a challenging spell."

"Yes, but I was hoping for at least a little silver mist from someone."

"I understand your frustration, Remus, but we can't put too much pressure on the students."

"Filius, if we didn't get anything from the sixth and seventh years we selected, what hope do we have in helping third years?"

"I think that Harry and his friends actually understand the dire need." Severus was leaning against the wall. He had not expected much of anything from the older group of students. "The students most likely to produce silver mist are the ones who have been in danger. Harry apparently attracts danger so if anyone will understand the need to perform and push themselves it will be him."

Remus's eyes widened. He hadn't thought of it like that. "I suppose you’re right."

"You are very right, Severus. I agree that the students most likely to achieve any noticeable progress in their early lessons are those students who have witnessed the most pain and danger. I can think of no student who has been through more than Mister Potter."

"Well," Remus sighed while standing. "We will find out soon enough."

As if he had predicted it, a knock sounded on the door a second later. The door opened and Harry peaked his head in. "Would you like us to wait in the hall?"

"No, Mister Potter," Filius smiled. "Please come in."

Harry smiled and pushed the door open farther. Hermione, Fay and Neville were right behind him.

"Hello, Professors." Hermione and Fay said as one. They giggled when they realized they spoke at the same time.

Remus smiled. The students being in good spirits should help with the lesson. The fact that all four were smiling made him think that Hermione had researched the spell and realized that it would require happy memories to accomplish.

The Weasleys came bounding in the room a moment later. Fred and George were dragging their brother behind them. Draco slipped in on their heels. Percy was the only one who wasn't laughing or smiling.

"Good, you're all here." Remus smiled at the group. "To start you need to know what exactly is difficult about casting the Patronus Charm."

"The incantation and wand movements are simple," the Charms Master continued. "All you do is point your wand and say Expecto Patronum. The challenge lies in finding the right memory. The spell is only possible if you can hold on to a powerfully happy memory."

"The spell requires a happy memory because when cast properly the Patronus is a shield of positivity."

"Professor Snape is correct." Remus smiled at the dark man. "If you can't find and focus on a truly joyous memory, then you will not be able to produce a Patronus."

"I would like all of you to think. Find a memory. Make sure this memory is happy. It has to be a memory of a moment where you were happier than you can remember being before or since." Filius walked around the room. "Spread out and think back. Find your memory. Focus and remember."

The students spread out around the room, each thinking about what made them happy.

"Do you think you are ready, Percy?" Filius felt odd using the boy's first name, but it was entirely necessary considering the number of Weasleys in the room.

"Alright, Professor."

"Have you read up on the theory?"

"Yes. I think I have it."

"Good. Focus on that memory, point your wand and say the spell."

"Expecto Patronum."

Nothing happened.

"Did you feel anything, Mister Weasley?"

"Not really. I could feel my magic, but it didn't respond."

"Then you didn't find a happy enough memory. I want you to think about why you chose that memory. Why does that make you happy? What makes you happier? Search yourself."

Severus walked to his godson. Draco looked troubled. "What is the matter, Dragon?"

"I don't know if I have a happy enough memory."

"Dragon," Severus spoke quietly to his godson. "Your life has not been the one you led people to believe. I understand, not knowing if you have a memory that is truly happy. I do not think of a memory per say, I think of the people that embodied happiness. They were happy and brought moments of ease and joy to my less than happy life."

"There are all kinds of happiness," Draco mused. He tilted his head in thought. Who had made him happy? His eyes landed on his godfather, a memory of a Christmas long past flying to the forefront of his mind. "I think I would like to try."

Severus only nodded as Draco took a deep breath.

"Expecto Patronum."

Severus placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Keep trying, Draco. Find that thing that embodies happiness for you."

Fred and George had tried with just as much success as their brother. For them, it was not that they didn't have happy memories, they were jokesters so much of their life was happy. Their problem was they didn't know what defined happiness for them.

"Fred, George," Remus said, walking up to them. "I want you to do this separately. You may lead people to believe that you are essentially the same person, but inside you are two different people. What one feels is the embodiment of happiness could very well be something different for the other. This cannot be a group project."

Filius stood with Hermione. "Miss Granger, I fear you will have trouble with this. Those ruled by logic tend to overthink spells based on emotion. You have to let go, Miss Granger, or you will never succeed. Think, but do not think logically. Focus on that feeling of warmth deep down within yourself."

"I think I have something, Professor Flitwick. I would like to try." He nodded his assent. "Alright," she breathed. She straightened her shoulders, pointed her wand and said clearly, "Expecto Patronum."

"You are too controlled, Miss Granger." Filius smiled at her. "You have to let go. Allow yourself to feel."

Fay stood; eyes closed a smile on her face.

"Do you think you have a strong memory, Little Faolan?" She smiled at Remus and nodded. "Alright. Then I want you to think of that memory; hold it close to you. Point your wand and say Expecto Patronum. You have to mean it. Say it like you wish to surround yourself in the happiness of that memory."

Fay closed her eyes one last time, focusing. She pointed her wand and let the feeling of joy fill her. Her memory was both sad and happy. It was the morning after she was bitten. The morning after her parents abandoned her. She played back the whole memory, from the moment she stepped into the Granger home. She said the spell when her memory finished on Remus holding her while saying, 'Welcome home, cub.'

Her eyes flew open when she said the spell so she saw a wisp of silver smoke puff out of her wand before disappearing.

Remus reacted before thinking. He had his little Fay in his arms swinging her around, laughing. "That was fantastic, my Faolan." He hugged her tight as her feet hit the ground again. "I am so proud of you. That is exactly what you need to do. You just need to find a memory like that, only much more powerful."

Fay stood, basking in the glow of his praise. She might just try that moment for her next attempt. She couldn't stop smiling. "Wow, I feel really drained."

"Here," Remus handed her some chocolate. "It helps, I promise."

Hermione bounced to Fay's side. "Do you have any advice?"

"Feel it. You have to feel the emotion behind the memory."

Harry stood in the corner watching. He had focused in on Fay as she prepared for the spell. It must be the emotion that allowed the magic to flow, not the memory. They asked for a memory to help bring out the joy from inside.

He thought hard. What made him truly happy?

He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "I think about someone whom I loved. She was my closest friend and the one person I could trust when I was young."

Harry didn't look at his potions Professor. He didn't think either of them could handle that. Instead, he looked to his friend. Hermione. His best friend. His girlfriend. When he had nothing, he had her. When Remus and Sirius were new and he wasn't sure if they were really there for him, he had her. When Ron went crazy, he had her. When she was petrified, he was lost. What would he have if he didn't have Hermione? The answer was simple. He wouldn't have this. He would be empty.

Harry closed his eyes and focused. What memory to choose? Kissing her was great, but it also made him nervous. He would save those thoughts for when he wasn't on edge. No, he knew what memory he needed. What feeling he needed.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

The room turned to the shouted spell. Harry stood confidently, a bright smile on his face, his eyes focused on Hermione Granger. A silver blob forming in front of him. It didn't have a true shape, though it looked like it was trying to take one. After a moment the blob faded and Harry stood there, panting slightly. It really did take a lot of magic and concentration.

Hermione flew across the room and launched herself into Harry's arms. "Wow. Harry, that was amazing. It was so big. How did you do it? What did you think of? Are you okay? Did you see any sort of animal? I am so proud of you."

Harry just hugged her close. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being my happy memory."

**Hogsmeade**

It was raining. This should not surprise or affect her at all, what else could you expect from a Scottish winter, but rain? It was warmer out than it had been, it wasn't snowing anymore, but for some reason she felt more melancholy than she had all week.

Aria sighed as she stared out the window at the gray landscape around the cottage. She was lonely. It wasn't that she had been alone all week; Sirius and Narcissa had visited multiple times throughout the week, but she still felt the weight of looming despair. The Dementors were really taking their toll on her.

Perhaps the thing that was missing was her Alpha. She shook her head. No, if she was being honest with herself, Remus was much more than her Alpha. He was her teacher. He was her friend. He was part of the pack. He was her Alpha. He was the man she was falling desperately in love with. If only he would do something about it. She had thought that something might have come of the mistletoe but nothing had changed.

The door slammed open causing her to jump in surprise. Whirling, she saw Remus standing in the entry, a huge smile plastered on his face.

"Remus…"

She didn't get to finish her thought. A second later he was across the room, his arms wrapped around her, spinning her.

Aria wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could, her face buried in his neck as he laughed. He stopped spinning them and let her feet touch the ground but didn't loosen his hold on her. She rose to the tips of her toes, attempting to stay as close to him as possible.

"I take it you had a good day?"

His arms tightened, "I had a magnificent day." This he whispered in her ear with such heartfelt emotion. "We started teaching the kids the Patronus Charm today. The sixth and seventh years didn't make any progress."

"That doesn't sound like a reason to celebrate."

"The sixth and seventh years didn't make any progress, but a couple of third years did."

Aria's eyes widened in surprise and she pulled away, just enough so that she could see his face. "Who?"

"Harry and Fay."

Her face brightened and she burrowed back into him. "That's wonderful. How far did they get?"

"Fay produced a tiny stream of silver mist. With all that has happened in the last few months, I thought she would have a hard time coming up with a memory strong enough, but she did it on the first try."

Aria shook her head, "Remus, with all the good she has been given since August, it is no wonder she managed it. You have given her so much just by being there for her. She loves you. She probably thought about you."

"I didn't ask. I don't need to know. All that matters is that she is moving on and can find joy despite what Greyback and her parents did to her."

"What did Harry manage?"

"It was amazing. I didn't know if he was going to try anything, he stood thinking so hard for so long I feared he couldn't find a happy enough memory. Then Severus said something to him and he closed his eyes and tried. It was so big, Aria. He had this huge blob of silver. I could see it trying to form into something, it just didn't have quite enough emotion and power behind it."

"That is amazing! I just knew he would be able to do it."

"He has had such a hard life. I wasn't sure if he would be able to pull enough happiness forward."

Aria pulled back again. "Remus." She held his gaze, forcing him to look into her eyes. "That boy had a terrible life. I, however, have never seen him truly unhappy. Yes, he was broody when he and Hermione weren't talking, but other than that he has been genuinely happy. You have done a wonderful job showing him what family is supposed to be. Narcissa is showing him what a mother should be- loving, but still a parent. Sirius has shown him what a godfather is; a protector who will do everything for their godchild. The twins have shown him what it is like to have older siblings. You have shown him what it is really like to have an uncle. He may have never had any of that before, but now he does. He has friends and family now. Harry Potter is finding himself because there is support and he is allowed to be happy."

Remus stared at the woman he still held in his arms. A tiny woman with long, riotous red curls and green eyes that were rimmed in gold even when her wolf was far away. Somehow, she had managed to keep her face from becoming scarred the way his was. She was beautiful, but more importantly, she understood him.

He leaned down and kissed her softly. He had intended for it to be brief, but he lingered. Severus was right, if he kissed her, she would do all the work. She responded instantly. Remus found his arms tightening around her again as he deepened the kiss.

No regrets.

\---

"Sirius was here this morning."

Remus lifted his head from his pillow and kissed her shoulder. "What did he want?"

"I think he was bored. Narcissa had him meeting with the most influential members of the Wizengamot yesterday so he escaped early this morning."

"That sounds like Sirius. Did he talk about anything intelligent?"

"Mostly about Harry. Then he babbled on about some prank ideas the twins wrote to him about, I mostly tuned that part out."

"The twins want to open up a joke shop."

"They would be good at it. They're both creative and have outgoing personalities so they would be great with customers."

Remus hummed in agreement. He loved the way she fit in his arms. Aria lay in his arms, her back flush against his front, their legs tangled. Her head fit perfectly under his chin.

"He says my wolf needs a name."

"Did he try to name your wolf?"

"He had a suggestion, but said he was not allowed to name her. Apparently, your wolf demanded the honor of naming mine."

"Moony doesn't want you to end up with a name like Moony. When naming our animals in school, the names were mostly a joke. The only problem with that is that my wolf isn't an animagus form; it is another part of me and that part of me never liked the childish, obvious name."

"Has Moony come up with a name?"

"He has. What did Sirius suggest? How bad was it?"

"Tala. It isn't horrible. It isn't great either. My wolf loves Fay's name. She would appreciate a name that was fitting and sophisticated."

"That's much better than I thought. Tala is actually very accurate, if a little on the nose."

"What does it mean?"

"It is a word in Sioux and it means red wolf. I found it while researching wolf legends."

"It's actually better than I thought. Do you think Sirius actually did research?"

"No. I think he went through my notes on wolf legends and found a translation of a tale about a red wolf. He probably just flipped pages randomly and that was the one that stood out as it was at the top of a page and the translation was right next to it."

Aria rolled to face him. Her arms came up and wove around his neck. "What has Mooney decided my wolf should be called?"

"Accalia." He pressed his lips to her forehead and she shivered in pleasure.

"It's beautiful. What does it mean?"

"It's Latin for she-wolf."

She smiled and brushed her nose against his. "You didn't have to do any research at all, did you?"

"No," Remus whispered. "Moony thought of you like that from the moment he knew you would be part of his pack. He thought the name suited the beauty that you held within."

"Accalia," she whispered. Her wolf reacted. Her wolf, no Accalia, was pleased. "Thank you." Something in her, the wolf in her, made her nuzzle into his neck and hold close.

Remus didn't respond. No response was necessary.

"How was Tabitha holding up?" Remus spoke after a long, comfortable silence. He had rolled onto his back and Aria now had her head resting over his heart, her arm around his waist.

"She seems sad, resigned. Turning from him is killing her slowly. She knows it's necessary, that there is no other option, but she has loved him since she was only a little older than Fay; known him longer than either of us have been alive." She pushed up so that she was looking down at him. "I wish there was something I could do to help her."

"When this is all over, we will help her find a new home. She can teach us all."

She smiled at him and lowered back to his chest. "Greyback and one of his pack turned three young men on the last full moon."

"What?"

"Apparently, Greyback took one of the younger pack members and he decided it would be fun to bite three of the wizards living in Upper Flagley. Her job is to help those who were turned for a few moons. One is determined to join Greyback. One may go to Ireland and attempt to join O'Connell's pack. The third doesn't want to leave Britain, but doesn't want anything to do with Greyback's pack."

"So we step in."

Aria blinked then shot up so she was sitting. "What?"

Remus pushed himself into a sitting position. "We talk to the guy and if we feel he is sincere and wants to coexist with the wolf, then we invite him to join our small pack."

"I never thought you would agree to help another wolf, at least not so readily."

"I've found myself and my place as a Werewolf. I was always afraid of what I might become despite the fact that that primal nature had never described me. Yes, the full moon can bring it out in the wolf, but never in me. I will defend those I care for with all I have, but I will never be what Greyback is. If I can help someone else find acceptance, acceptance of what they have become, then I will. I won't be taking over his pack when he is gone but I will help those who ask and are willing to live their lives the way we do."

"I think I love you."

Remus blinked, utterly shocked. "What?"

"You are an incredible man, Remus Lupin. I knew that the second I saw you put yourself between Fay and the unknown. Tabitha told me to come to you, she knew of your strength and heart. You prove you are a good man every day just by being you. My wolf is drawn to Moony because he is an Alpha, but also because she respects him. I am drawn to the wizard because of the way he is. I am falling for you, Remus Lupin, and I couldn't be happier."

Remus cupped her cheek, pulling her toward him. He kissed her softly. "I love you, Aria."

**Gringotts – Hall of Records**

"Slipknot!" bellowed Master Narvog. "Report your findings now."

"I apologize, Master Narvog. My task took longer than anticipated. There are no properties listed as belonging to Lord Voldemort, Tom Riddle, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Marvolo Riddle or any other permutation of those names. I then searched for records of properties belonging to his parents. There is no wizarding record of a home belonging to any Riddle but there is a muggle record of a manor house in Little Hangleton belonging to Thomas and Mary Riddle. Thomas and Mary Riddle had one child, a son named Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle was briefly married to a Merope Gaunt. There is no home listed under either Tom Riddle or his wife Merope Gaunt. Merope Gaunt is the daughter of Marvolo Gaunt. Merope and her brother Morfin did not attend Hogwarts, presumably because they could not afford the tuition. There is a residence, also in Little Hangleton, that was owned by Marvolo then by his son Morfin upon his death. There is no record of either residence gaining new ownership since the death of all parties. All individuals were dead by 1943 save the child born of Tom Riddle and Merope Gaunt."

"There is no record of anyone owning the Gaunt property after 1943 within Gringotts?"

"No. There is no Will on file for Morfin Gaunt, the last to own the property. He died in Azkaban; he was arrested for the murders of the entire Riddle family. From what I can find, Riddle House is still held under trust and looked after by the caretaker, a Frank Bryce."

"Good. Set up a meeting between myself and Masters Holgrind and Gorenak."

The younger Goblin walked quickly from the office.

Narvog had a very bad feeling about the days to come. He just hopped they weren't too late.

**Little Hangleton**

Tiberius studied the manor house at the top of the lane. Tom, his Lord, had held a few meetings there for the most trusted of his inner circle. He knew there was nothing in the house but he also knew there was something important about the house. He had found that important information less than ten minutes ago.

That house was the former home of Tom Marvolo Riddle's muggle father.

He turned from the house and started down the lane. If the manor house belonged to Tom's father's family, then Tom's mother's home must be close by.

He paused at a four way stop and focused. Closing his eyes, he searched for any trace of magic. Hopefully, Tom didn't mask the magic that should have accumulated from generations of Gaunt wizards living in this town.

Straight. He had to keep going straight.

Tiberius found what he was looking for at the outer edge of town. The Gaunt’s dilapidated shack was as far from Riddle House as a home could get and still be in the same town. He could barely see the little shack behind all of the overgrown shrubbery. The grass was waist high and the bushes looked more like trees or hedges. Tiberius would never be caught dead at such a place if it were not entirely necessary.

He rolled up his left sleeve, revealing his brand of proof. The wards were strong, but he felt them move through him and fall away when they hit the mark. Only the Dark Lord and those he trusted would be welcome here.

He walked forward cautiously, but confidently. His wand was in his hand only as a precaution. He would not need it. A snake hissed in warning, only to back away a moment later. His Lord's mark was like a magical invitation. The door opened slowly, without him even touching it, the moment he stepped on the broken stoop.

Flicking his wand, he cleaned the dust from the room; Tiberius did not do dust. He could feel something dark and powerful coming from somewhere near the fireplace. He made his way toward the nearly overwhelming dark magic and his eyes locked on a large, poisonous snake nesting in the hearth. It raised its head; hood flared and bared its fangs. He pushed his arm forward again. The cobra studied it then settled back in, what looked like, disappointment.

Tiberius knelt, never taking his eyes off of the aggressive snake. He placed his left hand on the floorboards above the pulsing dark magic. Magic pulsed and he felt a shock go through his arm causing him to wince slightly. "I come seeking that which grants my Lord eternal life. I seek a way to return him to the glory he so deserves."

At his words, the floor boards disappeared and revealed a small chest. He pulled it from its hiding place and studied it. Blood. He nicked his thumb and pressed it to the bronze lock. The blood was absorbed completely by the lock before the lock popped open.

Inside was a ring. The ring was gold with a black stone. The stone had a line, inside a triangle, inside a circle carved into its surface. He could feel the hate and malice radiating from the ring. Yes, he had found another Horcrux. Now he just had to see if Lucius had followed his instructions. If he had, their Lord would have a body before the children were out of school.

**Hogwarts – Near the Hospital Wing**

She was cold, tired and stressed out. Why did they have to put Dementors around the school now? Her recovery was hard enough without the looming sense of dread. The Dementors may not be able to affect the students from outside the wards but the entire student body was on edge. Those who had spent the Yule Holiday away from school had felt the effects firsthand upon returning and now they dreaded leaving the castle. Some of the younger students were even afraid to walk to the green houses for fear that they would feel the cold and fear because they left the castle walls. She had heard one Sixth year mention that Hagrid had to move his classes closer to the castle because his hut was too close to the forest, and thus, too close to the wards for the students. One of the sixth years had ended up having a panic attack during class because of the Dementors.

No one was complaining about the cancelled Hogsmeade visits.

Ginny Weasley did not like being around the fear and cold. She had just had a meeting with her mind healer and she knew she had taken a step backwards. It wasn't that she was still pining for Harry Potter, she did think he was cute, but she realized he was taken. But she was falling back into depression.

"Are you alright, little Weasley?"

She whirled and found herself face to face with a Slytherin. Her hand flew to her wand, "What do you want, Malfoy?"

Draco raised his hands, showing he was not holding his wand. "Black."

"What?"

"It's actually Black now. My mother and father are no longer married and I decided I would rather be my mother's son than my father's heir. I am Draco Black now."

"Good for you. What do you want?"

"I don't want anything. I just happened to be walking by and noticed you standing there leaning against the wall. You looked like you might need some help."

"So Draco Malfoy, no sorry Draco Black decided to stop and see if the Weasley was alright?" Her voice was filled with sarcasm. "Sorry, I'm not buying it. What do you really want?"

Draco sighed. "I was really hoping you would have noticed that I have changed. You know, I haven't had a single argument with your brother Ronald and he and I get along about as well as cats and dogs do. I spent a good portion of the holidays with the twins and find them amusing to say the least. I really did just want to know if you were alright." He turned and started to walk away. "If I find the twins or Percy I will send them to check on you. I'll ask Harry and the others to pass the message on if I don't see them. Take care Ginny."

Ginny tilted her head in shock. That was it? Where were the insults and mockery? She shrugged and headed down the hall as well. She would think on that later.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice who was standing on the landing ahead of her.

"Look what we have here boys. The poor mental case that just so happens to be named Weasel. Oops, I mean Weasley."

Ginny's eyes locked on Pansy Parkinson and her burly company. She was surrounded by Crabb, Goyle and Bulstrode. Attempting to ignore them, she kept walking.

"Do you think she realizes exactly how pathetic the school thinks she is? I mean who lets themselves be possessed by a book? Pathetic."

"Oh, I know, Pansy." Millicent sneered. "To make matters worse, she now has to see a mind healer because she is a pathetic stalker." The two girls laughed while their bodyguards snickered.

Ginny bit her lip, trying not to let their words affect her.

"Come on, Weasel. Are you too scared to defend yourself?"

"She has nothing to defend, Pansy. She really is just that pathetic."

"Do shut up, would you, Parkinson."

Ginny looked up to see Malfoy, no Black coming back down the hall.

"Oh, look it's the newest blood traitor."

"You really should learn a bit about the old houses. The house of Black, my mother's family, is loyal only to family. As I am sure you do not know, but Miss Weasley is sure to know, is that the Weasley family is connected to the Black family through marriage. Isn't that right, Ginny?"

Ginny blinked; he was asking her? "Right," she answered slowly. "My paternal grandmother was born a Black. I think my maternal great, great grandmother might have been a Black too, though I can't be certain of that one."

"Exactly. So, Pansy, of everyone here, who should I defend? A girl who, despite being my former betrothed, dated whomever she pleased, or family?"

Pansy glared before huffing. She turned and flounced down the stairs toward the dungeons.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Come on, let's get you some hot chocolate and you can talk to me. I know you and I aren't friends, but that also means I am an unbiased ear."

She studied him for a moment. "You won't tell anyone?"

"You have my word. Blacks do not go back on their word."

"I could drink some hot chocolate."

Draco smiled. "Great. Come on. I know this House Elf; he spends a lot of time at the castle while the students are here; he makes the best hot chocolate you will ever taste."

"Are you sure about that? My mum makes great hot chocolate."

"You'll see."

**Ministry of Magic**

Narcissa and Sirius Black walked into the assembly hall, heads held high. The room that had been buzzing with conversation went utterly silent upon their entrance. No one knew what to make of the Blacks. No one knew what their stance would be. One thing was for sure, things would be entertaining while they figured things out.

The oldest and most respected were actually looking forward to having things shaken up. Life was much more interesting when you could not predict everything that was going to happen throughout your day. The youngest of the members of the Wizengamot were angry and fearful. Those who knew Sirius Black either feared he would usurp their control or were angry he destroyed his life so completely that it had taken more than a dozen years for him to make his move. Everyone questioned what Narcissa Black was doing there. No one knew where the former wife of Malfoy stood. Her husband's stance was well known, but hers was a complete mystery. The fact that she walked in, equal to her cousin, caused a sense of foreboding to run through those who thought like her husband.

One thing was for sure, this first meeting of the year of the Wizengamot would not be boring.

"What have I gotten myself into?"

"You are attempting to make the world better for your godson, Sirius. This is the fastest way to do that."

"Nothing is fast in the Wizengamot."

She smiled slightly. "Then think of it as a way to prank the ruling body."

A wide grin spread across his face. "I can do that. Oh, I can definitely prank the fuddy-duddies."

She looked him in the eye, her eyebrow raised.

"And I will do it by playing the game. That will keep them guessing the entire time and make the prize at the end of the game that much sweeter."

"What is our first goal?" She asked only to ensure he knew the plan.

"Review the laws. Question that which alienates. Use Greyback as an example."

"Good. If you run into trouble, I am at your side. I am your advisor. I will help you navigate the traditionalists. I know them better than they know themselves."

"Thank you, Cissy."

"All you have to do to thank me is to try. We can't let things continue as they have been for decades. Though he is gone, his ideals continue to thrive, just without the bloodshed. Protect Harry. Protect his friends. Protect my son. We have to pave the way for a better world. Our children should not have to live with our mistakes."

"I will do all I can. Draco is my nephew now. I am coming to understand him and like what I see for his future. He and Harry's friends will always have my wand as protection."

They took their seats. Sirius sat at the Black Head chair, Narcissa at his right in the position of the Head's advisor.

A man stood at the lowest level. He sat directly under the seat reserved for the Chief Warlock. "Please all be seated so that this, the first meeting of the Wizengamot in the year 1994 can begin."

"Sirius," Narcissa whispered, "Stand."

He looked around and saw the original families all stood at their places. He quickly joined them. When the last to stand, the oldest, Sebastian Macmillan who was older than Dumbledore and moved very slowly, they all lowered back to their seats.

"What was that?"

"My guess is a show of unity. I don't know if they do it every session or just when a member of the original signing returns to their seat."

"I'll watch for that next time."

She nodded. "So we begin."

**Come and Go Room**

Draco studied the room around him. He had never seen anything like it. "Where did you find this place?"

"Dobby told me about it."

"How come I didn't know about it?"

"Apparently, he asked the other Elves if there was a room we could meet that would work for Hermione's birthday. They suggested the Come and Go Room."

"Why do they call it that?"

"It can be just about anything you can imagine, or at least that is what Dobby says."

"What else have you tried?"

"A room that could hold most of Gryffindor tower for a party, a small room that we used to sit around a fire on Halloween, and now a training room. I really haven't used it as much as I thought I would have."

"Sorry I'm late!" Fay bound into the room, Neville right behind her. "I couldn't find the twins or Percy."

"That's all right. Draco ran into them earlier and they were planning to spend the day with Ginny and Ron. Ginny has been off lately, really sad and kind of withdrawn. Ron has been Ron, but they still want to check in with him."

"Has she been any better since you noticed her in the hall the other day?"

Draco shook his head. "Not really. I tried to get her to talk to me but we really just ended up talking about the fact that she doesn't like the Dementors and quidditch." It had been almost a week since he found Ginny. Their conversation over hot chocolate had been both more and less than he expected. He had hoped she would open up and talk to someone, the fact that it wouldn't be him had not been surprising. He had been surprised that she stayed long enough to have two cups of hot chocolate and explain exactly why the Holyhead Harpies was her favorite quidditch team. It was not because they only took women, well not only because they only drafted women.

"Ah, quidditch," Harry smiled. "It is the one true icebreaker. Even enemies can stand around and talk about quidditch."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, we know, you love quidditch. Can we please not talk about it again? I want to work on the Patronus Charm."

"Right." Harry walked to the middle of the room. "Fay you're up. What advice would you give on finding the power and emotion to produce even a partial Patronus?"

Fay smiled. "You have to actually feel it. I thought about the memory, but my focus was the emotion I felt at the time, not the scene itself."

"What about you, Harry?" Neville thought Fay had something there, he just wanted to know what Harry thought helped him.

"It was something similar for me. I didn't actually come up with a memory. I focused on the way someone made me feel. I let the happiness I feel with that person fill me up and then let it go. I knew that that person would protect me if given the chance." He looked at Hermione, "just like I would protect her."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we are all so happy for your perfect relationship with your girlfriend. Can you try to avoid making me watch you being nauseatingly cute?"

"Let's spread out and find the purest happiness we can. Focus on your own happiness connected to the memory or person. Don't get lost in the details of the memory."

The quintet walked to their own spaces, letting themselves become immersed in their own thoughts. None of them noticed Remus and Severus slip into the room, until Fay smelled Remus. January was nearing its end and the full moon was only a few short days away and her senses were improving.

"Expecto Patronum."

All eyes turned to Fay. A perfectly round disc formed in front of her. It was about three feet across. After a moment, the disc faded away.

Hermione didn't want to let the moment go, so before anyone could comment she focused on the one thing in her life that really made her happy and cast her spell. "EXPECTO PATRONUM." She shouted because Harry had shouted last time. She could feel the magic coursing through her and then out of her. A fine silver mist poured out of her wand and swirled around her. It had no form.

When she gasped, it disappeared. "I kind of did it." Her voice was awed. She ran at Harry and threw her arms around him. "You were right; it is all about what someone makes you feel."

Draco rolled his eyes again and focused on the two people in his life that actually cared about him. He wondered if the feeling of safety, love and acceptance would work. Taking a deep breath, he focused on the way he felt around his mother and his godfather. "Expecto Patronum."

He spoke with confidence and power. The feeling of being protected and loved consumed him and moved through him. He felt his magic responding. Maybe he had found his inspiration. A small stream of silver flowed slowly from his wand only to dissipate a moment later. Okay, so maybe his father's edict about never showing or feeling emotion was going to be a hindrance.

A hand fell on his shoulder. "It will come. You just have to let yourself feel, Dragon."

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Neville Longbottom had rarely felt joy in his life. As a child he wilted under the high, and somewhat impossible, expectations his relatives placed on his shoulders. He felt despair for years thinking he was in fact a squib. He floundered at school, always afraid that he would never fit in and in fearing it, caused it.

Now, however, Neville was finding his way. He had great friends. He was doing well in his classes. He wasn't afraid of everything around him. He was, for the first time, comfortable in his own skin.

He opened his eyes in shock to see a large rounded shield in front of him. He felt the drain on his magic but didn't let up. This was too important to let go.

His concentration was broken by a happy whoop. Fay was across the room, hugging him in an instant. "You did it, Neville. I knew you could!"

"Alright, Mister Potter," Severus drawled. "It is your turn to show us how you have improved."

Harry grinned, whipped out his wand and shouted the spell.

Silver burst from his wand and ran, yes ran about the room. Whatever it was, was fast and had four legs. Finding no enemy, the silver creature bound toward Harry. It sat in front of him and tilted its head. A fox. His guardian was a fox. She faded away with her eyes locked on his.

"A fox is a very clever creature." Severus mused, his eyes not on Harry, but on Hermione. "Anyone determined to guard you would need to have a large supply of cleverness."

"I am so proud of you." Remus looked at the five third year students. "All of you."

"Before your next lesson, think about what you used. Search yourself for what could be more successful. Mister Potter, you will be focusing on casting while distracted. We will work our way up to casting while under the influence of Dementors."

"How will we do that?"

"I am searching for another Boggart. Professor Snape has enough control over his mind that he can convince himself that his greatest fear is, in fact, a Dementor. As you should all remember, Boggarts make you feel the same way as the thing they imitate. A Boggart could never perform the kiss, but it can bring you to your knees."

**Hogsmeade**

It was Saturday. The full moon was two nights ago and Tabitha had not returned. Aria hoped to see the woman soon. They had a simple full moon. It had just been the three of them. Sirius had a dinner meeting with another member of the Wizengamot that he couldn't reschedule and Severus was experimenting; the potion required the light of the full moon so he obviously could not join them.

Her senses were still heightened so she heard the person approaching the cottage before they made it to the door. It was not Remus. She walked toward the door and reached it just as they started to knock. She could smell two people. One seemed familiar.

Opening the door, she sighed in relief when her eyes locked on Tabitha, alive and well. She pulled the woman into a hug, completely ignoring the young man standing behind her.

"I was so worried about you. I feared Greyback had found out you were helping us and did something to you."

"I am more than alright, child. It takes a lot to bring me down. I just got distracted helping the new ones find their way. Amelia Bones may be keeping their affliction a secret, but their conditions are not unknown. Bartholomeus's family has told a large number of people, but he doesn't care because he has accepted Fenrir's cause. Nathanial has already headed to Ireland, so I had to go with him to explain the circumstances and pave the way. Lucas here lost his parents in the attack and we have been dealing with the backlash from that."

Aria straightened. "I am so sorry, Lucas. I can't claim to know what it is like to lose your family in that way."

He gave her a pained smile. "It's hard. Waking up yesterday morning and realizing that it had been one month hit me harder than expected."

She led them through to the family room. "Just give me a moment. I'm going to Floo Remus's office and see if he can get away right now."

"Take your time. I'll just make us some tea."

Not long after, Remus walked through the door. He smiled at Tabitha before kissing Aria briefly. "How are you, Tabitha?"

"As well as can be expected. I wanted to bring Lucas by before the full moon, but time got away from us. Lucas, this is Remus Lupin and Aria Price. Remus is the Alpha I told you about, as I am sure you realized."

Lucas stood and extended a hand toward the older man. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

"Nice to meet you, Lucas."

The werewolves took their seats. Lucas and Tabitha took two arm chairs, Remus and Aria sat close together on the love seat.

"How old are you, Lucas?" Aria looked at the young man and almost couldn't believe he was out of school.

"Nineteen. Well, I turn nineteen in a few weeks."

"What house were you in?"

He turned to Remus. "I fought back. Does that tell you anything?"

"Oh, so Slytherin because you jumped in to fight a battle that was steeped against you."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "I bleed red and gold, Mister Lupin."

Remus smiled. "As did I when I was in school. Does that mean you attended when Quirrell was the Defense Professor?"

"Yeah, I really don't like to remember that particular teacher. The stuttering was horrible and the smell." He shuddered. "I don't know why, but the Defense teachers got worse every year."

"Many current students would agree, though I hope the current one breaks that trend."

Aria pushed against his shoulder. "Stop fishing for compliments. He is a great teacher. He managed to help teach a group of third years the Patronus Charm."

"You taught third years the Patronus and they succeeded?"

"Five had at least a little mist. Harry managed a corporeal animal form today."

Aria jumped. "How did our cub do?"

Remus smiled; he loved that Aria felt the same as him. Fay was their cub. "Fay produced a solid shield. No wavering. I don't know if she will ever have the power to produce an animal form but that shield was beautiful."

"I would still love to meet your youngest pack member." Tabitha smiled at them. "Lucas, Fenrir actually bit a thirteen-year-old girl in August. She is friends with Harry Potter, who happens to be like a nephew to Remus."

"Oh, I've seen Harry fly. That kid has a gift. His first match was crazy. He almost swallowed the snitch. He was like Gryffindor's savior that year. We won the house cup because of him and his friends."

"Perhaps we should talk about what you want to achieve with your wolf." Aria tried to pull the conversation to something more productive.

"I just don't want to hurt anyone. I don't like what Greyback stands for and I don't want to leave. I grew up here. My family has been here for generations."

"Do you know much about the wolf?"

Lucas looked to Remus. "No. I really don't even know what to expect. I don't remember anything from the other night."

"We can help you. The wolf, if you let it, can become a friend. Your wolf is not necessarily an invader. If you use Wolfsbane, you can meet your wolf. You will be there and so will he. We are a family. We support each other and work together to get through the worst of the pain."

"I lost my family."

"So have we all, one way or another." Aria spoke quietly. "My parents and I were never close. We were even more distant emotionally when I was bitten. They supplied money, but didn't want anything to do with me."

"My parents helped in every way they could." Remus continued with his story. "I was bitten because my father said the same things as that Umbridge woman. Greyback got revenge on my father by biting me. I was four. My true family I met when I was eleven. James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew were my family. We were betrayed by our brother. Peter turned and followed Voldemort. Because of that I was left alone for eleven years. The worst eleven years I could imagine."

"I lost my family when my husband left me. I have loved Fenrir for what feels like forever. I now stand against my family because of the choices he makes."

"The kids have stories similar and yet different. We all know loss; your losses are just the rawest."

"Is the wolf really an intelligent part of you?"

"Yes," the Werewolves answered as one.

"My wolf has clear ideas about how life should be. I am lucky in that my wolf and I agree. I do not know if we agree because he wants me happy or if we agree simply because we do. My wolf was named long ago as a joke by my friends. Now, he insists on naming the wolves of others because he feels it allows us to differentiate between the wizard and the wolf. Moony and I are dedicated to helping Harry survive. We have adopted Fay and her wolf Faolan. We have found happiness with Aria and Accalia. For the first time in almost thirty years we are both happy."

"I want to find what you have found. You look genuinely happy with your life. I didn't expect to find any contentment in my life after Greyback attacked. In Britain, and much of Europe, being bitten is the end of your life." He studied the older Werewolves. "Seeing you here, and knowing that you are currently teaching at Hogwarts gives me hope."

**The Burrow**

Enough was enough.

Bill walked down the lane toward his childhood home from the apparition point. He was fuming. Things had changed a great deal since he left home for Egypt. He left home because Curse Breaking, and therefore Egypt, was what he wanted. The Ministry was never an option for him. Eventually, he planned on transferring back home but first he needed to experience what was outside Britain. Bill wasn't sure if he was ready to transfer back yet but as of right now it was what he needed to do.

He knew Charlie had left for similar reasons. Charlie Weasley would never have survived working indoors at the Ministry, he needed fresh air and movement. His options were quidditch or Dragons. Anyone who knew Charlie knew what he would choose.

Both Bill and Charlie knew their mother was extremely unhappy with their career choices. Molly Weasley would only be happy when her children did exactly what she wanted them to do. They thought, incorrectly it seemed, that eventually she would get over it and relax. No, Molly Weasley did not loosen the apron strings, she tightened them.

The Weasley family had experienced the most uncomfortable Yule holiday in living memory that year. Arthur Weasley attempted to lead his family, he was relaxed and jolly; it didn't work. Percy was Percy, he was the only one thinking of heading to the Ministry once he graduated so their mother loved him. Ron was different. The incident with Lockhart altered his outlook on life. He still didn't like studying but he didn't expect to best his peers without putting some effort in. The youngest male Weasley had yet to share his career dreams so he was not in the dog house yet.

As always, the twins used each and every opportunity they could to have fun and test their products. Of course, that set Molly off. They finished opening presents when it happened. It wasn't destructive or even funny. The twins had somehow rigged the tree to put on a show. When the last present was opened and their mother asked 'who wants breakfast,' the fairy lights started dancing. The tree started to spin while music played softly. The ornaments changed colors every few seconds and fake snow started to fall around the family's now magical tree. Bill thought it was a great way to celebrate the day. Arthur had looked proud. Ron and Percy had clapped. Molly Weasley blew her top.

None of the male Weasleys knew how to react to that. Fred and George had done it as a gift to their mother; instead she called them delinquents and said they were Azkaban bound. It was for this reason Bill and the twins did not eat Christmas dinner at home with family.

Bill stepped into his family home with a mission.

"Bill," his father said with some surprise as he walked down the stairs. "What brings you by? Are you staying for dinner?"

"Hi, dad. I don't know if I am staying or not. I really need to talk to mom. Things are out of control."

Arthur frowned. "I suppose I should have seen this coming. I really should have spoken to your mother myself."

"Talk to her with me then. We need to get to the bottom of this. She has got to stop pushing them dad. Fred and George can handle it and she is never going to get on Percy's case because she approves his career goals. Ron and Ginny have enough problems; they do not need mom jumping down their throats when she doesn't agree with their decisions."

The Weasley patriarch nodded. "Your mother is in the kitchen."

"BILL!" Molly Weasley yelled in pleasure upon seeing her eldest son. "What are you doing here? You have to stay for dinner. You don't spend nearly enough time at home."

"We need to talk, mom." Bill ignored her upbeat greeting.

"Come now, it can't be that serious. Sit, I'll get you something to drink."

"Molly," Arthur stopped her. "Sit. We really do need to talk."

Molly paled and sat. "Who died? Did the twins blow themselves up doing something ridiculous? Did one of those horrible Slytherins throw Ronnie off the Astronomy tower? Did Ginny get expelled?"

Bill sighed. "No one died mom. As far as I know, everyone is fine."

"Then why do we need to talk?"

"Why are you so hard on them mom? Why won't you let them find their own paths? What is so wrong about opening a joke shop? Why won't you let Ginny move on?"

"All kids need their parents’ guidance."

"True, but they don't need to be afraid to spend time with their parents! Fred and George turned the tree into a show and you basically told them they were horrible criminals. Ginny stayed at school because she finally felt like she was dealing with her issues and didn't want you to browbeat her into trying to start a relationship with Harry. Percy is afraid to tell you he has been looking at other career options. Ron has absolutely no plans to tell you what he wants to do after he graduates." Bill ran a hand through his hair. "Charlie and I made our decisions mom, you need to let the rest of them make theirs. You can make suggestions and give your concerns but you can't control their every movement. You can't push them into doing what you want, especially if what you want could hurt someone."

"I wasn't going to hurt someone."

"Harry Potter has a girlfriend."

"School relationships never last."

"Really, mom? Didn't you and dad start dating in school?"

"We were the exception."

"What's to say that Harry and Hermione won't go the distance? What if Ginny and Harry just wouldn't work? Why won't you let Ginny find her own way?"

"She's just a baby, she needs her mother."

"Mom, when I was Ginny's age, I was on my own. You didn't care what I did or who I saw as long as I did my best in school and didn't get in with the wrong crowd." He leaned forward, "what are you afraid of?"

Molly stared at her son. "I lost them."

"What?"

"My brothers. I lost my brothers. They were my little brothers. I protected them from everything, but I couldn't protect them from whatever was coming. I couldn't protect them from the growing darkness. I'm not stupid. I can see the signs. The compulsion charms. The Chamber opening. Whatever happened with Quirrell. People acting strangely. Something is coming and I will not lose my children the same way I lost my brothers. The Ministry can protect them, that's why I want them to take jobs there. Safe jobs. I want Ginny to marry someone with enough power to protect her. Who has more power than Harry Potter?"

Bill took his mother's hand, "Do you trust me?"

"Of course, Bill."

"Do you think I can defend myself?"

"Bill, you're a Curse Breaker. You are a powerful and talented wizard. I don't know where you got that power. Of all my children, you are the most capable of defending yourself and it isn't because you are the oldest."

"Do you think I can protect my siblings?"

Molly bit her lip. "Yes. I just don't want you to have to."

"Mom. The Goblins don't like the signs they are finding. For now, the best of us are being brought back to the main branch. I am here, so let me help."

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"I can't guarantee nothing will happen, mom. What I can do is assure you that I will not do anything to put myself or the others in danger."

"No one can guarantee they won't get hurt, Molly. All anyone can do is promise to be careful. Percy could find happiness with the Ministry but you know full well that none of our other children would be satisfied with that life. Fred and George would get themselves fired or arrested within a week for pranking the Minister. Ron doesn't have the grades or focus for a desk job; all he cares about is quidditch and chess. Ginny hasn't found her path yet. She is a good student, but she was always a very outgoing child. Can you really see that happy child sitting behind a desk or being just a housewife?"

Molly deflated. "I've messed up, haven't I?" Her boys didn't answer; they didn't need to. "I'm pushing my children away. Did I drive Charlie out of the country? I know you wanted Gringotts and I don't think I pushed you to leave, but did I? Am I making all of my children long for getting out, getting away?"

"You didn't drive me away mom. I was always going to go wherever Gringotts sent me. You didn't drive Charlie away either. Romania had the only opening. The other reserves weren't hiring so Romania was his destination. If you relax and don't jump to conclusions, then they won't leave at the first opportunity. Listen to the twins; they actually have a decent business plan and they have a line of financial backers. Percy has been looking outside the Ministry; this is entirely because of some of the Minister's recent decisions. Of any of us, Percy is the one who is the least sure of his future. He may ask for advice; if he does, be honest, don't just jump on the Ministry because that is always what you have dreamed of." Bill watched his mother nod and take in what he said. The next bit was perhaps the most important. "Ron is going to want to do something with quidditch; don't shoot him down right off the bat. Remind him it requires training and dedication. And lastly, let my baby sister find herself. She, like any girl, needs her mom, but she doesn't want her mom to tell her what to do, she just wants her mom to listen to her and give her honest advice. Can you turn back into our mom? Or are you going to let fear tear this family apart?"

"No. I will never let my fear destroy my family.


	19. A Bad Feeling

**Hogwarts – Library**

"Hi, Hermione!" Lavender and Parvati skipped up to the table Hermione had commandeered for her study session. "What are you up to?"

Hermione looked up at the smiling pair. "Studying, I want to get a head start on my revision before exams get too close."

"Hermione, it's February. Why would you need to start studying now? Don't you usually wait until after Easter Holiday?"

"Well, yes that is all true. I do usually wait until after Easter break, but I get the feeling that I may not have the full amount of time to study for exams. Something always seems to happen toward the end of the year that interrupts my revision schedule."

"I'll give you that," Parvati nodded. "You and Harry have the worst luck in the world when it comes to the end of the school year. Where is Harry? You two are, like, joined at the hip."

Hermione shook her head in amusement. "He is spending time doing his own studying."

"Without you?"

"Yes, Lavender, without me.” Hermione rolled her eyes. “He is taking some time to really look through that book Ron got him for Christmas. I can't read it, so whenever he has it out, I ask all sorts of questions and end up distracting him. He took the Parseltongue book up to that room on the seventh floor so he had some solitude."

"I guess that makes sense." Parvati plopped down into a chair.

"I can totally picture you trying to read over his shoulder and asking him questions when he turned the page." Lavender giggled as she scooted another chair to the small table. "Has he read anything interesting yet?"

"The pages he had already read were mostly an introduction. He is actually kind of excited because the book seems to focus on healing and defensive magics. The best part, apparently, is that it takes a great deal of power to counter Parselmagic if the individual doesn't speak Parseltongue."

"You really wish you could read it, don't you?"

"Parvati, not being able to read that book is killing me," Hermione groaned. "Harry is being really sweet about it though. He is taking really detailed notes and he is trying really hard to make them legible."

"I thought you could read his chicken scratch."

"I can." She smiled at Lavender. "I told him he didn't have to try so hard, but he said he wanted to work on his penmanship anyway so he would start with the Parseltongue notes so I wouldn't have to work so hard to read them."

"That's so sweet," Lavender and Parvati sighed dreamily as one. "Who knew that the antisocial Harry Potter would be the perfect boyfriend?"

"He's only the perfect boyfriend for Hermione, Lavender. Can you imagine him knowing what to do with anyone else?"

"No. You’re absolutely right. Harry is and would be a horrible boyfriend for anyone other than Hermione."

Hermione rolled her eyes again. "What are you two doing in the library?"

"We were looking for you."

"Why?"

"We have been talking to some of the other girls in our year."

"My sister and the other Claws."

"And Susan and Hannah."

"They think that we should have a girl’s night."

"What kind of girl’s night?"

"Well, Padma heard about your birthday party and the room; Lavender gossips."

"You gossip too."

"You brought it up."

"Whatever." Lavender flipped her hair over her shoulder. "We were thinking that it would be totally brilliant if we had a sleepover for the girls in our year group."

"The whole year group?" Hermione sounded hesitant.

"Well," Parvati leaned in, "maybe not the whole year group. No one was thinking of inviting Parkinson or Bulstrode."

"Did someone bring up Greengrass and Davis?"

"Padma and Sue say they are nice enough in Runes when Parkinson isn't around."

"How would we get around curfew?"

"We were hoping you would have an idea."

"I suppose we could talk to one of the female professors. Professor Sprout would probably love the idea, but would also probably insist we open it to every girl in our year. In fact, I am fairly certain all the professors would insist on including all girls in all houses."

"So, would you do it?"

"They already thought of asking the professors, but you’re all too scared to ask them?"

"Well, yes. We figured that either you or Fay would be brave enough to do it. So would you?"

"Please, Hermione?"

Hermione bit her lip. It would be fun to get together and just do something with the girls. She really did like talking with Padma in classes about assignments and Susan was very bright and determined. Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis were also not so bad when they weren't around the rest of their house. Perhaps they could get to know the other girls. They could start over as a year group, just like the Gryffindors had done the previous year. "Alright, I will ask to speak with Professors McGonagall and Sprout."

"Thank you, Hermione."

"You're the best."

The two girls jumped out of their seats and hugged the brunette, squishing her between them.

Hermione laughed softly. "You're welcome. Now, get out of here, I have studying to do and I can't do it with you two giggling."

Lavender and Parvati left Hermione, giggling as they walked out of the room.

**Gryffindor Common Room**

Parselmagic was fascinating. At least Harry thought so. He wasn't sure what it was, but for the first time in years, Harry was excited and eager to learn. Yes, he had been focusing on his studies this year. But this he was actually excited about. He never thought he would be happy Hermione was having her sleepover party with the other third years. Without her there, he was able to focus on his reading without feeling her watching him.

Parseltongue opened up so many possibilities magically. Harry hoped what he was reading was actually true because, if it was, he was excited for his future career options.

"Come on, Harry, we're all playing Exploding Snap."

"No thanks, Seamus, my girlfriend likes my eyebrows exactly where they are; on my face."

"Don't be such a chicken," Ron laughed, "Percy would fix them for you."

"No, he wouldn't."

"No, I wouldn't," Harry and Percy spoke as one.

"Why not?"

"Because, Ron, you would have lost your eyebrows while goofing off; if you lost them studying, then I would fix them."

"How would we lose our eyebrows studying?"

"Ask Seamus." Dean walked up and put his arms around Ron and Seamus's shoulders. "Seamus could probably find a way to blow up his notes if he wanted to."

"Very funny, Dean. Neville, are you going to defend me?"

Neville shook his head. "No, Dean's right, you could lose your eyebrows by somehow managing to blow up your history notes and you don’t even need magic in that class." Neville leaned over the chair Harry was sitting on. "Have you come up with anything interesting?"

Harry nodded. "I really wish I knew someone who could speak Parseltongue. The theory is fascinating and the spells don't look that complicated. I keep getting ideas. I would love to try to apply the theory to situations that aren't described in the book."

"Maybe Hermione could help you research a way to apply it."

"Maybe. Parselmagic seems to be different. There are less restrictions on how but a lot more possibilities for things to go wrong. The writer cautions all Parselmouths; he says to only try what you are magically capable of trying. It is strongly suggested that you never try anything without having someone else around until you are completely comfortable with the magic you are performing."

"Is it that dangerous?"

"Yes and no. Parselmagic is more volatile because Parseltongue is a more magical language. You can't lie in Parseltongue, everything you say is supported by magic, to lie with magic is to taunt fate. At least, that is what the author says."

"As fascinating as all of that is," Seamus interjected, "are we going to play or what?"

"You guys go ahead. I want to study this section a bit longer. It's giving me ideas."

"Does anyone else think he is starting to sound like Hermione?"

"Yes, Ron, we all think he is starting to sound like Hermione." Dean smiled at the redhead. "Now, are you ready to lose your eyebrows?"

"Dream on, Dean. You are the one who will be losing your eyebrows."

"No, Seamus will be losing his eyebrows because I honestly think he does it on purpose." Neville followed the other three third years to the corner they planned to play in, leaving Harry to his study of the mysterious magic that was Parselmagic.

Ron paused and turned back to Harry. “If you want to talk to someone who speaks Parseltongue, you should talk to Bill. I got the book from him and he got it from a Parselmouth. I am sure he would get you in contact with the guy.”

Harry blinked, then smiled. “Thanks, Ron. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that.”

“I’m sure you or Hermione would have thought of it eventually.” He shrugged and left Harry to his thoughts.

Harry was definitely going to talk to Bill about finding him another Parselmouth. 

**Headmaster's Office**

"Come in, Mister Weasley." Albus smiled at the eldest Weasley boy.

Bill took his seat in front of the desk. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice, Professors."

"No problem at all, Mister Weasley." Albus's eyes twinkled. "What do you wish to speak to us about?"

Bill sighed. "It isn't good news. The Goblins managed to track down some properties that were owned by Tom Riddle's family. His muggle father's family had a manor house in Little Hangleton. They checked this location, but found only faded traces of magic. It wasn't warded so they tore it apart in no time."

Albus nodded. "This is good. We can keep the manor house under observation if things accelerate."

"True. The concerning part is the second dwelling in Little Hangleton. Riddle's mother was born Merope Gaunt. Her family had a run-down shack on the outskirts of the village. This property was saturated in magic. They called in a team of Curse Breakers to aid in the search of this property and I accompanied them. That was one of the strongest ward systems I have ever come across and that is almost entirely due to the fact that we believe the wards were cast in Parseltongue."

"Why would the fact that Parseltongue was used to cast the warding make such a considerable difference?" Severus inquired.

"Parseltongue is, in itself, magical. The entire language when spoken by a wizard will release magic. Any intentional casting in Parseltongue is made exponentially stronger due to this fact. The wards were not the most creative or impressive in design, but they were powerful and laced with traps that essentially require Parseltongue or the express permission of the caster to enter. We were able to dismantle the wards; it just took a great deal of time longer than expected. Then there were the snakes." Bill shuddered. "The small property was overrun with poisonous snakes just waiting to sink their fangs into any intruders. Two members of the team were port-keyed back to Gringotts for emergency healing due to snake bites. I’m not sure how the snakes got there or managed to survive this long. None of them were native to the area and most are native to arid habitats."

"Yes. Tom grew rather fond of snakes. I suppose I should expect them when dealing with any traps he places."

Bill nodded at the headmaster. "It ended up taking five days to get into the house and another three days to search the house due to the intense ward systems. The depressing part is that whatever the wards were protecting was removed before we arrived. Our estimation has the removal happening only three days before the team arrived."

"Do you have any idea what was being kept there?"

"Diagnostics on the residual trace magic indicates a great deal of malicious energies. Without a physical object or an affected party, we can't know for sure. We are sure, though, one of the possible answers is a Horcrux and considering the connection to Riddle and the fact that we have found four so far we are assuming it was a Horcrux."

"Who could have taken it? I wonder."

"We have no definitive answer to that either." Bill's frown deepened. "We do know it wasn't Riddle; he has no corporeal body and there was no trace of his signature dismantling the protections. We did find some low-level spell work, household level cleaning charms that cleared the dust and that reads somewhat similarly to the individual that cast the Compulsion Charms on my siblings."

"You say it is similar, but not exact?" Severus raised his eyebrow.

"Correct. My bosses theorize that whoever the caster is has changed the person they borrow magical energies from."

"That does complicate things." Albus turned to Severus. "Perhaps it is time for you to seek out Lucius and see if he has any intel on what has been happening."

"I will be seeing him over the Easter Holiday. He is quite irritated that his wife and son have left him. He has taken to the continent and planned to pursue the women of France for a time. My presence was requested upon his return."

"Good. You know how to handle him best. Get what you can from him."

"I will."

"Thank you for bringing this information to us, Mister Weasley. Share with your bosses that we are going to approach the other side to see if they are hiding anything and will report if we learn anything of consequence."

"I will inform the higher ups at the bank."

"Was there anything else?"

"No. I believe that is all I had. We continue to search for any additional Horcruxes, but have no leads at this time."

"We are in the same boat, I'm afraid. I, myself, can't seem to come up with any place, save the school, that Tom felt any sort of connection to. I have been searching the hidden rooms, but have not found any traces of such foul magic."

“Though I am loath to suggest it, perhaps you should speak to Mister Potter.” Severus did not want to bring the students into this. “He has a knack for finding trouble and did manage to find the Chamber, which his father could not find.”

Albus nodded. He too wished to take care of this problem without relying on the children. This was their mess; it was their responsibility to clean it up. “I fear I may have to.”

No one was pleased that they may have to ask the children for help.

**A Manor House in Britain**

Dear Merlin, he could kill Lucius Malfoy. Tiberius had no idea why the man’s wife's departure was such a surprise. On the surface they appeared happy, however, anyone who spent enough time with them, and was observant enough, would have seen the signs. A happy pureblood wife does not spend so much time observing her husband's business associates. She did not catalogue their reactions for later use. She did not argue about their children's upbringing. Essentially, a happy pureblood wife did not act like Narcissa Black.

Tiberius had thought of her in that manner since before young Draco was born. That woman wanted out and only needed a strong Family Head to approve her exit. If Lucius were less self-absorbed and did not think himself infallible, he too would have seen the signs. It was unfortunate. Lucius Malfoy would probably never have the political acumen his father had because he believed he was always right. The death of Abraxas Malfoy would probably turn out to be a heavy blow to their side.

Now Lucius was in France seeking the comfort of whores. Yes, he would pretty it up and call them escorts, though it was all the same in the end. He was paying for a night of release; paying for sex. The worst part of it was, he had not done as instructed.

Tiberius had been quite clear. He needed Lucius to acquire a magically powerful individual they could use. This individual needed to be someone who would not be missed. Lucius needed to do it as Tiberius had been busy searching for their Lord's soul anchors. He was loath to admit it, but Lucius also had better contacts in human trafficking so could find and procure their target much quicker than he could.

"Dad, is everything alright?"

Tiberius sighed. His youngest son was too soft, much like Tiberius's father had been. There wasn't much he could do about it now, he hadn't put much effort into raising the boy. He had sent his elder two sons to Durmstrang, his second wife had insisted that her son attend Hogwarts.

"Everything is fine, Theodore. What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"It's Easter Holiday. I am here for the same reason I always am."

Right. The anniversary of his mother's death. "Very well, I have business to attend to. I will return in time for supper. Entertain yourself."

"Of course, father."

Tiberius walked from the room, headed to a meeting he hadn't scheduled. He really had no interest in spending time with his son, his elder two were much more impressive. Yes, getting married to Hester after the death of his beloved had been a mistake. Their physical relationship had been nice, but the consequences of said physical relationship were more trouble than they were worth.

Shaking his head, he stepped into the Floo. Perhaps he could talk some other follower into assisting him. It would serve Lucius right if Tiberius cut him out completely.

**Gringotts – Hall of Rituals**

"I am so excited!"

"We know, Hermione."

"You have been saying that every day."

"For the last week."

"Honestly."

"We are kind of sick."

"Of hearing it."

Hermione glared at the twins. "We get to do something very few get to do. Only the oldest families know about this ritual and only Gringotts has a prepared ritual room designed to house it. Most people attempt the animagus transformation with the potion because it takes less time, but it also is the most limiting."

"I still don't get why that is." Fred scratched his head.

"People are not defined by a single trait."

"Well, yeah. But what does that have to do with the potion being limited to the transformation?"

"The potion will show you the form that is most fitting to your outward personality. There is no subtext, it doesn't dig deep and is partially affected by the subconscious. Whether you realize it or not, you sort of chose your form when you use the potion."

"So you're saying that there are multiple possibilities for our forms?"

"In theory, yes. I am not just smart, right?" When they nodded, she continued, "When you think of a smart animal you think an owl. Owls are very intelligent, but if you take into consideration that I hate flying then an owl is not the best choice for me."

"Everyone can agree on that." Neville smiled from just behind her. "There are other intelligent animals though so intelligence is probably something that will affect your transformation."

"Professor Snape thinks you are going to be a fox."

"Why do you say that, Harry?"

"When he saw my Patronus was a fox he looked at Hermione and said something about cleverness. Hermione once described herself as 'books and cleverness.' I think he might be right. You do hate flying so an owl would be very out of character but a clever fox fits."

Hermione smiled. She couldn't believe that he remembered that. "Thank you."

"So, what do you all think you are going to be?" Fay had come along to watch. She kind of wished she could become one too, but the wolf was already there.

"Harry will be a lion." Hermione said firmly. "Lions are courageous, strong and family oriented, just like him."

"I was thinking he might be an eagle. Eagles are the kings of the sky and Harry is a natural in the air." George disagreed.

"Monkeys." Neville slung an arm around Fred and George's shoulders. "These two will be monkeys."

"Guessing isn't going to do you any good." Sirius smiled.

"Says the man who did nothing but guess his and everyone else's forms until the potion was ready."

"It didn't help, did it Remus?"

"No, you got them all wrong. No matter what you say, they will still try to figure it out."

Sirius, very maturely, stuck his tongue out. "I was sort of right about mine. I was a dog."

"You guessed wolf."

"A wolf is a type of dog."

"No, it really isn't. Wolves and dogs are descended from the same ancestor, a larger more capable wolf but wolves are not dogs. If anything, dogs are a domesticated form of wolves, depending on breed obviously. I would never describe a Chihuahua as any sort of wolf descendent."

"So I was right."

"In the broadest, most inaccurate way I suppose you were right." Remus conceded with an eye roll.

"Enough squabbling." Narcissa shook her head. "We are wasting the Goblins’ time."

"Right." Sirius straightened, putting on his Lord Black face. "Let's review the procedure. You go into the circle alone. You have to do this entirely on your own. I, as a head of one of the original families, will stand as witness and the individual granting permission. You walk directly from the entry point to the table. Once at the table you pick up the ritual knife, continue the ritual wording and slice your left palm. You drip blood into the ritual bowl for 81 seconds. Again, you continue with the wording. Once you finish that section then you should go into a trance which will show you your animal form. When you come out of the trance you need to thank magic and announce your form. The ritual will complete only when you exit the circle at the exact same place you entered."

"I have a question." Hermione interjected. "You said these rituals are old, extremely old. If they are that old and there were no time calculations, then how do they know it is exactly 81 seconds?"

"Originally the procedure called for nine counts of nine." The goblin who had led them there answered. "A wizard some generations ago decided to try to make things simpler by timing everything. He took away the elegance and brilliance of the original calculations by modernizing it."

"Thank you, Master Brayclaw."

Sirius clapped his hands, "Who would like to start?"

Neville stepped forward. "I'll go. My gran has instructed me on ritual performance even though they are rarely used. I know what to do."

"Alright, Neville. You know what to do."

Sirius and Neville stepped up to the outer edge of the runic array. As one, they separated and walked toward their starting points.

Sirius stopped outside the runic box designed for the consenting witness. When Neville was in position he began. "I, Sirius Orion Black, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, stand as witness and hereby give permission for this minor to search his soul for his secondary form." He stepped forward into the runic array.

The runes flashed orange.

"I, Neville Longbottom, Heir of the Noble and Ancient house of Longbottom, thank the Head of House Black for standing witness and ask magic to grant me access into my soul to see my secondary form."

Neville took a deep breath and stepped into the runic array. He took exactly nine steps to reach the center. The array began to light up, from the outer ring in, lighting further in toward the central table with each step. When he stepped to the stone table he placed his hands, palm down, and the entire runic array flashed yellow.

The thirteen-year-old picked up the ritual knife, "With this knife I offer a sacrifice of blood, my gift to magic for allowing this endeavor." He sliced his left palm and held his hand over the ritual bowl. Counting to himself, he allowed his blood to fall into the bowl for nine counts of nine, eighty-one seconds. When the last drop fell the runes flashed again, this time in gold.

"I offer this gift to magic so that I may find the form of my soul. The primal force within." He placed the knife on the table then put his hands down on the table, palms pressing to the runes.

Neville Longbottom saw what no one else could, or would see. He saw into his soul.

Harry Potter saw into his soul.

Fred Weasley saw into his soul.

George Weasley saw into his soul, a soul that was not a mirror to his twin brother’s.

Hermione Granger saw into her soul.

"I, Draco Malfoy, son of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, thank magic and my head of house for revealing to me my secondary form. The primal form of my soul is that of a white tiger. I am a white tiger."

Draco Malfoy, the last of the children to attempt the ritual turned and strode out of the runic circle using exactly nine steps. The runes faded with each step until only those surrounding Sirius were lit.

"I, Sirius Orion Black, Head of House Black, thank magic for opening the window into the soul." He stepped out of the runic box and the runes stopped glowing.

Together Draco and Sirius walked from their points on the outer edge of the circle toward the entrance and out the door to their waiting party.

**Grimmauld Place**

Fred couldn't believe it; he and George had different forms; completely different species. He wasn't sure what he felt about it. Part of him was disappointed; they shared everything and this they wouldn't be able to share in the same way. He was also kind of excited. Being different animals meant they could take on different tasks and apply two new mindsets to the way they lived.

"Here you go, Fred." Hermione handed him a book. The book was on primates. "I have the start of the section on capuchin monkeys bookmarked."

"Thanks, Hermione. How do you feel about being a fox?"

She smiled. "I love it. Part of that is because Harry's Patronus guardian is a fox, the other part is just because they are fascinating. In animal symbolism, a fox represents cleverness and wisdom. I think it fits." She tilted her head, studying him. "How do you feel about being different from George? Capuchin monkeys are very different from coyotes."

"I think I'm okay with it. Remus was right. We aren't the same person and we shouldn't expect our inner selves to be the same. I think finding out that we have different forms will actually help me with other branches of magic too, like the Patronus charm."

"Good. Now I have to go give these copies to Neville." She waved a few sheets of parchment in front of him. "Don't destroy the book. I'll make copies of your section in a bit."

Right. Neville had found he was a silverback gorilla. He vaguely remembered Hermione saying that gorillas were strong, family-oriented, protectors. That did seem to fit who Neville was becoming.

They had an interesting mix. George was a coyote, the intelligent trickster. Neville a gorilla. Hermione a fox. Draco a tiger; independent, confident, strong. He was a capuchin monkey, which meant he was playful and intelligent. Harry's had been the most surprising. It turned out George and Hermione were both right. Harry was a Griffin; both a lion and an eagle.

"Hey, Hermione. What does a Griffin mean? Well, other than the fact that Harry is brilliantly powerful."

She looked up from the conversation she was having with Fay and George, all of them canines. "It's sort of the mix of what a lion and eagle would stand for. Griffins are classified as guardians or protectors. They also symbolize nobility, strength and loyalty."

"Alright," Sirius and Remus stood in the doorway to the library. "Now, none of you are to even attempt to transform. There will be no meditation where you try to find the animal in you. The first time you meditate on your form it will be with me this summer. All you are allowed to do while at school is research your animal."

"While researching your animal, you also have to keep up with your studies." Remus swept his gaze over all six of them. "I know all of your grades. If I see a noticeable drop in your standings, you will not receive any instruction this summer until you have proven that you know the material you ignored at school."

"You will also have to keep yourself healthy." Narcissa stepped out from behind Sirius. "There will be no all-night study sessions so you can fit large amounts of study." Her gaze had locked on that of Hermione. The brunette blushed. "This is a long process. It may take you years to achieve due to your youth and inexperience."

"We are not joking." Sirius looked on them with calm and unmoving resolve. "Remus will monitor you at school so if you do not follow these guidelines, we will know almost instantly."

"We are placing these restrictions because this is dangerous. If you don't have someone around who could reverse the transformation you could get stuck and you really don't want that to happen."

"Are you all in agreement?"

Six teens nodded their consent. They would not jeopardize their chance at becoming an animagus.

**Headmaster's Office**

"Lucius was very forthcoming."

"That is quite surprising." Albus felt the look of surprise cross his face. "What did you learn?"

"Lucius shared the circumstances of the diary incident with one of our associates. He asked him to ensure that the children would not talk. Lucius, being who he is, only told this associate to ensure the Weasley children could not talk. He did not give the number of children or even think of Mister Potter or Miss Granger. Lucius's associate succeeded in placing Compulsion Charms on all Weasley children at King's Cross the day the express arrived. What he didn't know was that two of the five children returned home earlier."

"A grave oversight."

"Indeed. Lucius was furious when he was billed for Miss Weasley's medical care. He blamed his associate. It was during their discussion of this oversight that the details of the Chamber incident came to light. The associate was able to theorize that the diary was a Horcrux."

Albus froze. One of Tom's followers knew about the Horcruxes? "Please continue."

"He was familiar enough with the Dark Lord to know that he would have made more than one and guessed at the locations of the others. Lucius was forced to relate the circumstances of the closure of the Lestrange vaults. From that point it became Tiberius Nott's mission to find a Horcrux so that he might return his Lord to greatness."

"It is Tiberius Nott. Your deductions were accurate, Severus."

"Accurate, but not fast enough. Nott has the Horcrux."

"This is true and very unfortunate. What are they planning?"

"Nott asked Lucius to acquire a magically powerful adult male. This man would have to be one who would not be missed, which is why he demanded Lucius procure him. Lucius has not done so yet as he went into a bit of a tailspin after Narcissa left him, which ended with his trip to France, of which I will share no details as I didn't want to hear them in the first place."

"Nott intends to do as the diary was doing. He wants to drain the life and magic from an individual to allow the Horcrux to create a body, completely replicating the body the soul anchor had at the time of creation."

"Apparently. Lucius is actually not very knowledgeable about the subject. He knows what a Horcrux is in the most basic sense of the concept, but has no idea how they work or what they can do. Nott is the brains of this particular plan."

"If that is the plan, we do have some time. If they intend for the Horcrux to drain a host, then the Horcrux will have to attempt to take over the body. It must implant itself into the mind of the host and slowly gain a foothold. It should take longer with an adult as they tend to be more adept at deflecting mental attacks. Hopefully, once the Horcrux is given to their sacrifice it will take more than a year for a body to form."

"Could it take less time?"

Albus paled. "Yes. I just hope Nott does not think of the way to quicken the process."

"So, in theory, in a years' time, we could have two versions of the Dark Lord roaming his earth. One, the shade that has been roaming since 1981. The second, a younger version of the man who was attempting to rule the world."

"Yes, my boy. It appears the darkness is approaching at an alarming rate."

**Hogwarts**

Harry stood waiting for his friends to finish their DADA exam. Harry had thoroughly enjoyed the exam. Remus had given them a short-written test; mostly dealing with identification and methods of evading or subduing more dangerous creatures. The rest of the test was practical. They had to traverse an obstacle course that entailed getting around or subduing a number of the dark creatures they had studied over the year. The last such creature they faced was a boggart. Harry's boggart was still Voldemort, but he had dealt with his Dark Lord boggart much faster that time.

Neville stood at his side. He had also done rather well. He seemed much more confident about all of his exam results this year.

Only Hermione, Dean and Seamus were left. Fay and the other Gryffindor girls had already left. Lavender and Parvati were headed to meet the Hufflepuff third years for some girl thing. Fay was not feeling up to company; the full moon would be the following night so she was feeling irritable. Harry also suspected that she was dealing with whatever her boggart showed. He knew she no longer feared turning them. What she feared now might be worse for her emotionally, unfortunately. Ron had run off to go have a snack. Someone had shown him the entrance to the kitchens so whenever he had a moment he tended to head there for more food.

"What did you think of Hagrid's final?"

Harry looked at Neville and saw he was genuinely curious. "I could see Remus's input. I really liked it actually. There were a lot of creatures covered so identifying and naming food sources and habitat was a great look into what we retained."

"He wanted to bring something bigger in toward the end."

"I know. I could just see him itching to show us one of those big bird/horses in the paddocks."

"I think those are Hippogryphs."

"Well, whatever they are called, Remus said they weren't suitable for a third-year course. He told Hagrid he could show them to the fifth years after Easter break." Harry grinned. "They were the first lesson after Easter Break."

"I would have liked to have seen them in class."

"Me too. I guess we will just have to wait until fifth year."

Hermione skipped up to them a moment later. "Wow, that was the best final. I don't think I have ever had such a practical and challenging final. I loved the way that was put together. I probably could have done better on the boggart, but all in all I think I did rather well. I should probably get over my fear of failing. Professor McGonagall told me I failed again and that I was expelled. It was easier to deal with when you were there."

Harry just smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Well, just one more exam and then we are done for the year."

"Potions." Neville shivered.

"Oh, Neville. You have been doing so much better in class. You really should stop worrying."

"Not going to happen."

The trio laughed as they headed toward the castle. All in all, the school year had been great. While not uneventful, it had been a much more normal school year. Well, at least no teachers had tried to kill Harry.

**Hogwarts – Thursday June 23rd (Afternoon)**

"Are you sure about this?"

"If I don't do this my father will kill me and after that Greyback will kill him."

"I get that, mate, but do you really want to cross Snape? He is actually here and has a larger spell repertoire."

"Are you afraid of our Head of House?"

"Not particularly. I thought you were, though. You saw his reaction to the Dementor thing and couldn’t look him in the eye for most of the year. It was rather pathetic."

"Well, it's either our, admittedly, terrifying Head of House, who won't kill me or my father and Greyback who will kill me. Who do you think I should go against?" He asked, but knew he would not get an answer. There was only one answer for someone like him.

"So how are you going to do it?"

"You're helping me."

"That isn't a plan."

"He's never alone, that's why I need your help. We stun him and whomever he is with. Then we get them out of the castle and leave a message for Greyback's enemy."

"Did you know that Lupin was a werewolf?"

"No. I didn't even suspect it. There were no signs. He was up and about the day after, a little tired, but he looked tired a lot so that's not really a sign. He has the scars, but that could have been from anything; he is a Defense Master with a specialty in dark creatures."

"He skipped dinners on the night of the full moon."

"A lot of teachers skip dinner from time to time, well at least those who aren't Heads of House. No one would have tracked which nights he missed dinner. If I'm right, he missed more than just full moon dinners anyway."

"Yeah, you’re probably right."

They were silent.

"Do you think he was a good teacher?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Do you have a problem with him teaching here?"

"Honestly? No, I don't. Part of that is because he is the best teacher we've ever had for Defense. The other part is that he's a genuinely nice guy. Snape even likes him."

"Your dad takes the hard line politically."

"My dad is also being threatened by Greyback, which is why I am in this mess. My dad really doesn't care one way or the other as long as he doesn't get bitten. He followed the Dark Lord and had to deal with Greyback often. My father always used to say that he admired Greyback's ruthlessness."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I was actually never raised in an anti-werewolf household. My father told me to respect that which is different and dangerous. In all honesty, as long as the werewolf isn't purposefully causing mayhem then they can live their lives. If Lupin hasn't been caught, then good for him. He must take precautions."

"You say that, but you are following Greyback's orders. Greyback, who is purposefully terrorizing the country."

"Life is full of contradictions."

"You could probably go to Snape and ask for help."

"No, I couldn't. If I did, my dad would die. I can't do that to my mom."

"But can you do this to yourself?"

"I don't see you arguing with this. Aren't you concerned for yourself?"

He snorted. "I am much more of a blood purest. My family are among the most outspoken in their beliefs about where mudbloods should stand. I’m hoping Granger is with him. If Greyback gets his way, then Potter and everyone else around will die, which would mean no more uppity mudblood bitch."

"Do you really think that?"

"It’s how I was raised, Marcus."

"So you just let their beliefs rule your life?"

"Pot calling kettle."

"At least I question what I'm doing."

"Not enough to stop yourself."

He grimaced. "No, not enough to do what is right. I am going to take the easy route."

**Hogwarts Grounds - Thursday June 23rd (Afternoon)**

The third year Gryffindors were happy. Exams were over and they would be leaving for home in only a few days. They, like most of the student body, had left the castle to enjoy the rare Scottish sunshine. The Gryffindors had headed down to Hagrid's hut despite the close proximity to the Dementors. All in all, they had been dealing rather well emotionally.

Harry couldn't remember being happier. No, the year hadn't been perfect. His broom was hit by lightning and there were soul sucking monsters surrounding the school, but personally, he was content. He had Sirius and Remus. He had a brother in Neville and the twins. He had a sister in Fay. He wasn’t fighting with Draco. Most importantly, he had Hermione. Best friend and girlfriend.

"Okay, I think we should have a race." Dean smiled at his year mates.

"What kind of race?" Ron seemed excited.

"I don't do running." Lavender scowled, Parvati nodding at her side.

"No, no running for you." Dean studied the other third year boys. "What I want to do is a piggy back race. One of us is the line judge, the other four carry one of the girls piggy back to the finish."

"How do we decide who has to carry whom?"

"I think the girls get to decide." Fay jumped on Neville's back. "And I pick Neville."

Parvati dashed at Dean, "I get Dean."

"Obviously, Hermione gets Harry and I will take Ron." Lavender wrapped her arms around one of Ron's.

"You mean I have to judge?" Seamus sounded disappointed.

"YES," the girls answered as one.

"Alright, alright. I'll be the judge. From here to the willow?"

The group nodded. They waited as Seamus jogged to the Whomping Willow.

"On your mark."

The pairs lined up.

"Get set."

The girls jumped on their partners’ backs.

"GO!"

Seamus watched, attempting not to laugh, as his year mates ran for it. Harry and Dean could run, but looked ridiculous with Hermione and Parvati clinging to them. Neville and Ron looked like purebloods. Purebloods did not run and it showed. Neville was jogging, watching his feet as he made his way forward. Ron was going all out but was stumbling.

Amazingly, Harry was in the lead.

Ron stumbled and then tumbled to the ground, Lavender flying from his back. Both rolled for a few seconds before sitting up. Lavender and Ron were laughing hysterically.

Neville paused at the two fallen students, presumably to check to see if they were okay. He restarted his slow jog a moment later.

Dean was keeping the pace; he seemed to be making up the distance between him and Harry.

At the last second, Dean pulled ahead and carried Parvati over the finish line to get first. Harry stumbled over just behind him. Both boys were panting while their passengers were cheering.

Harry and Dean collapsed to the ground to await their roommates. Neville lumbered up, Fay cheering so loud anyone watching would think he was going to win. The quiet young man just grinned.

Ron and Lavender came zooming toward their year mates about a minute behind Neville and Fay. Lavender was barely on Ron's back, her feet essentially dragging on the ground. Unlike the others, these two were laughing as they finished. Well, Lavender was laughing, Ron was making whooshing noises as if he was flying a broom.

"Well, I have to say, I am greatly disappointed in our pureblood showing. You were both terrible. The muggle raised did well. I can honestly say I would have lost to both Harry and Dean." Seamus grinned. "I would have beaten both of you, however."

"Sure you would have, Seamus." Ron grinned. "I would like to see you run that with a person on your back."

Lavender hit Ron upside the head. "What is that supposed to mean, Ronald? Are you insinuating that I am heavy? That I’m fat?"

Ron went red. "NO. Just saying that it is hard to run with that extra weight on your back."

"So, you are saying I'm overweight?"

Ron's ears went as red as his face as Lavender and Parvati stormed off. "Wait. Lav! I didn't mean that. Come back here." Ron ran after the two irritated girls.

"I see he still puts his foot in his mouth," Hermione mused.

"Yeah," Dean nodded. "He really needs to think about what he is saying before he opens his mouth."

"Or at least consider who is around when he is talking."

"We'll go after him." Dean pushed Seamus ahead of him, following the now fighting contingent of the Gryffindor third years.

"Does anyone else find it funny that Ron somehow managed to give us an opening for Fay to disappear?"

Harry shook his head. "You know, Neville. Ron always had impeccable timing, whether he realized it or not." He turned to Fay, "Are you ready to go?"

She looked to the sky. The sun was still relatively high but this was actually the perfect time to disappear. If she didn't show for dinner, which was still light this time of year, then her friends could claim she was feeling sick or something similar. "Yeah. I'll head out now. Tell Remus I left?"

"Of course." Hermione hugged her. "Be safe."

"Always."

Neville smiled at her while Harry hugged her.

"Be careful. I have a really bad feeling about today."

Fay frowned at Harry. What could he be sensing? "I am always careful. Moony won't let anything happen to me. Accalia and Warg are just as protective."

"I know. But something about tonight just feels off. My skin is crawling."

She studied him. "Okay, I'll be careful. You be careful too."

**Outside the Great Hall – Thursday June 23rd (After Dinner)**

"Everything alright, Harry?"

"I'm going to go talk to Professor Snape. I just have a really bad feeling about today and I need to tell one of the teachers in the castle. Oddly enough, I think Professor Snape will listen to me."

"Do you want me to go talk to McGonagall?"

"That would be great, Nev. Just tell her that I have a bad feeling and I think tonight is the night Greyback will strike."

"Will do. I'll meet you both back in the tower."

Neville headed for the stairs that would lead him to the Transfiguration teacher's office while Harry and Hermione headed toward the dungeons. So focused on the task at hand, neither saw the students hiding in the alcove until it was too late. Harry and Hermione opened their mouths to react only for their vision to fade to black as they were stunned.

\---

Draco Black was coming around the corner when he saw it. Harry and Hermione were being levitated down the hall, toward the short-cut that led from the dungeon hallway to the grounds of the school.

Marcus Flint and Lucian Bole were kidnapping Harry Potter and Hermione Granger! Draco turned quickly and headed back toward the lower dungeons. He had to tell his godfather immediately.

**Hogsmeade**

Sirius Black sat on his haunches in the form of Padfoot. It was the last full moon of the school year and Greyback had yet to attack so he and Remus were all but certain he would strike before the sun rose in the morning. He had to be there for Moony.

Moonrise was moments away and the pack was in the rooms that had been prepared to give them some privacy. A doggy smile spread across his face as he thought about the closed doors. He wondered if Remus and Aria were doing anything other than preparing for the change.

The door on the far left opened and Lucas, recently named Warg, slunk out. He was a gray wolf. His normally blond hair turned his fur gray on the full moon. He looked the most like a normal wolf when transformed.

Moments later, a small chocolate brown wolf bounded out of the room in the middle. It was impossible not to love the girl. It didn't matter what form, Fay or Faolan, she was just so full of life and love.

Tabitha was in the one unclaimed room. It was the one closest to the stairs. She had decided to stay with them as she too thought Greyback would show at some point during that full moon. She was silver in color.

Moony and Accalia were a picture together. Moony was a huge tawny brown wolf that exuded authority. Accalia, though small, was a rich rust red color and, even in wolf form, had a caring, motherly look. Somehow, they fit.

All canine heads looked up in the direction of the forest when a howl filled the air. Greyback had arrived.

Moony was about to move toward the door when it swung open and slammed against the wall.

"Harry and Hermione were taken from the castle by two upper year Slytherins. They were headed toward the Forbidden Forest."

Moony growled, baring his teeth. Accalia, Faolan and Padfoot joined him.

Greyback had officially declared war.

**Forbidden Forest**

Harry was cold. He could feel the Dementors somewhere close by but that wasn't what concerned him most. No, what concerned him, was the seven giant werewolves circling the cage he and Hermione were trapped in.

He pulled Hermione's limp body closer, wishing she would wake up. Someone had stunned them. He had only seen a glimpse of them before everything went black but something about the older boys had seemed familiar. One of them might have been the Slytherin quidditch captain, Marcus Flint. He thought the other might be on the Slytherin team as well but he wasn't sure.

Shivering from the inner cold caused by close proximity to Dementors, Harry studied the werewolves. There were seven in the clearing. They all looked a bit different. Most, he thought were newer, younger wolves. He wasn't sure why he thought that, he had never seen a werewolf, but something about their fidgeting and submissive stance made him think they were new to the pack. Two wolves, however, were obviously not young. The black wolf, he thought, was the second in command. It prowled the space in front of the cage looking at everything. The black wolf was bigger than all but the leader.

The final wolf, a steel gray one, was obviously the leader. Fenrir Greyback. He was absolutely giant, he must be eight feet tall and he was scarred. The giant gray wolf looked powerful even while sitting.

"Harry."

He looked down. Hermione was waking, her voice weak. "I've got you."

"What happened?"

"We were stunned and taken to the forest."

"What about the Dementors?"

"I don't know. For some reason they aren't coming near the small clearing we're in."

"I guess you were right. Something bad did happen." She sat up and looked at the werewolves surrounding them. "What are we going to do?"

"Not sure yet. They left us with our wands but I don't want to try anything until I have a better understanding of what is going on."

"If it weren't for the werewolves, I would say unlock the cage and get out of here but I really don't want to die and as much as I respect Remus, Fay and Aria, I really don't want to turn furry once a month. Well, at least not without intending to."

Harry smiled slightly. "I couldn't agree more."

They jumped when they heard angered howls in the distance. "I think Moony just found out that Greyback had us."

Hermione nodded. "For some reason, I feel really sorry for Greyback's minions."

"Yeah. Poor slobs. They don't even realize they just signed their death certificates."

"Is it wrong that we can joke in this situation?"

"I don't know. We are either used to life and death craziness or we are just so freaked out we are joking. Which do you think it is?"

"Honestly? I think we are used to the crazy."

"Unfortunately, I agree. That really shouldn't be the case. I haven't even turned fourteen yet."

The black wolf snarled and slammed into the cage.

"I think he wants us to shut up, Harry."

"Yup."

"Are we going to?"

"Nope."

"Oh, good. I don't think I would be able to handle the stress if I had to be quiet. Why aren't they trying to eat us?"

"The bars are made of silver. It hurts them to come in contact with the bars. If you look close there is smoke coming off the black wolf’s fir right now."

"So what was the point of putting us in here? Didn't she say that Greyback was going to kill you in front of Moony to hurt him? If the bars are silver, he won't be able to get to you."

"I don't really know. I am guessing that whoever conjured the cage is out there somewhere and will vanish the bars when the time comes."

"Do you have a plan?"

"Sort of."

"Are you going to tell me?"

"It involves Parseltongue. If I had more confidence in myself and my power level, I would try this one thing the author talked about but there was a warning in that section saying it required a lot of power."

“What did it do?”

“It would have turned the silver bars to silver snakes that would have then followed my command. The snakes are conjured with the sole purpose of detaining werewolves. The snakes are fast and will wrap around the werewolf and then tether it to the ground.”

“What are you going to do instead?”

“Vanish the bars first. That will be relatively easy as they were conjured to begin with. Then I am going to conjure silver spears.”

“Couldn’t you just transfigure the bars?”

“Parseltongue and Transfiguration don’t mix well. I’m not really sure why. The explanation didn’t make sense to me. I think it has something to do with the caster’s power and focus. Parseltongue requires a great deal of concentration and control so adding the concentration required to transfigure items splits focus so it either doesn’t work or drains the caster’s energy. Or at least that is what I think it means.” He shook his head. “I really need to talk to Bill about contacting that Parselmouth.”

“You will when we get out of here. For the record, I approve of your plan. It's as good a plan as any."

"I've never cast anything at that scale before and you're okay with it?"

"You have a habit of doing extremely difficult things in tense situations, Harry. If you have a plan, it's surprising. The fact that that plan is untested just means we are one step ahead this time. I also approve of the fact that you aren’t going for the more difficult spell. You could hurt yourself trying something that much more difficult untested."

"Thanks, Hermione. If I have to I can try that one spell, I would rather not have to without knowing more about my Parseltongue capabilities though. Now we just have to wait for our opening."

Both fell into silence as the large gray wolf, Greyback, stood and stalked towards them. That probably wasn't good.

\---

Moony ran at full speed, his pack following as closely as they could. He looked to the side at the dark wizard zooming along on a broom. He had borrowed the broom from his Beta. Padfoot had insisted on letting Severus use it so he could keep up. Moony wondered if it was smart to bring a human into Werewolf matters but figured he could get the man to take the cubs from the area so they were out of danger. Perhaps he would send Faolan as a guard.

He could smell him. His scent was everywhere. The fiend had walked the village to taunt him. It didn't matter. By the end of the night Greyback would be dead and his pack would be free.

"Expecto Patronum." Severus intoned from his position at Moony's side. A silver doe, a creature that brought back painful memories, rushed toward the cold, black creature that was standing in their way. He did not mind the creature; all it did was make his bones ache a bit but he knew it would hamper the dark man and his Beta so he celebrated the creature retreating from the brightness that the doe created.

The Dementor did not slow their progress.

Moony felt the wards as he bounded over the ground. They did not hinder his progress at all.

Then he saw the trees. In his youth the forest surrounding the school was his home. Tonight, he would once again claim those woods as his own. He slipped through the trees with practiced ease; following the scent of his foe.

Soon everything would come to an end.

\---

Tabitha followed the angry Alpha as quickly as she could. She hoped things turned out the way they wanted. It would kill her if anything happened to the children.

She looked at the red wolf and tilted her head to the side. Aria, no the wolf was called Accalia, knew she had a few wolves waiting on the outskirts of town to help them. Accalia nodded and continued forward while Tabitha peeled off. She needed to get to Kurt and Ashton. They would be needed.

Fenrir would not bring wolves with no experience. Each and every wolf he brought would be exceptional in a fight. Lucas was young and strong but he had little to no training in combat. Fay was a child and would be next to useless against adult male wolves. She did not know Sirius Black well, but wasn't sure his Grim form would be a match against a werewolf. Aria was experienced but small. She knew Fenrir and he would double-team the girl to prove that women were not supposed to join in battle.

The human she did not know at all. All she knew was that he could brew complicated potions. She was not concerned for him, however. Tabitha could sense that he was a seasoned warrior that could and would do anything to prevail. Oddly enough, she thought he would do better than she would.

There was no doubt in her mind that Kurt and Ashton would be needed for them to prevail.

\---

Greyback gave a series of barks and growls. A moment later, four of the wolves slipped into the trees. They were left with the burliest wolf, the black wolf and Greyback.

"What do you suppose that means?"

Harry gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "I think they are attempting to set a trap for Moony and the pack."

"I was afraid of that. Do you think the Dementors will be an issue?"

"With my luck?"

"Right. They will show up at the worst possible second. Will you be able to produce a Patronus? I know I won’t be able to. I only just managed a shield against the boggart."

"I have no idea. I could only manage half the time with the Dementor Boggart. I have to assume that a real Dementor would be stronger."

"Then you add in the fact that there are 100 of those things around the school."

"Exactly."

"So, walk in the park."

Harry shook his head and let a small chuckle escape. His life really was getting ridiculous. "I need you to be ready. When I give the word, I need you to do exactly what I say. Don't question, just do it. Can you do that?"

"I will follow your lead."

“No arguments?”

“I have to figure that relying on Parseltongue might not be fool proof. You will most likely have to improvise.”

"Thank you, Hermione."

Hermione's response was drowned out by a pained howl. It seemed the battle had started.

Harry focused on the wolves still in the clearing with them. He had to find his opening.

Hermione watched Harry. She gripped her wand tightly, she would be ready the second Harry needed her.

\---

Moony hit the dark brown wolf hard when he entered the clearing. It went tumbling, howling in pain, but he kept up the attack. He sunk his teeth into his enemy's neck and bit down. There was no time for mercy. He let go when the wolf went limp.

They had split up upon entering this area of the Forest. The area was littered with small clearings, perfect places to lay traps. Moony could smell Greyback. He could smell Harry and Hermione. Now he just needed to rip the maniac to shreds.

\---

Faolan followed closely behind Accalia and Warg. Moony had instructed them to stick together no matter what happened. If they found Harry and Hermione, they were supposed to get them to safety, away from the fighting.

She froze when they bound into the clearing. They had picked the wrong path. She could feel herself shaking in fear at the sight before her. Not only were they faced with Greyback, but two others were in the area as well. To make matters worse, Harry and Hermione were in a cage.

Accalia did not stop. She instantly headed toward the bulky wolf nearest the cage. Faolan wondered why she chose that target.

It was obvious a moment later.

Accalia was small and agile. The bulky wolf may be strong but, compared to Accalia, he was ridiculously slow. She bound around him, getting in bites and swipes of her claws before dancing away out of his reach a second later. Faolan was impressed.

Warg shook himself and entered the fray. He snarled and jumped on the burly wolf as it was focused on Accalia. He bit into its neck and clenched his jaw. The wolf yipped in pain. Accalia used the opportunity Warg created to her advantage. She instantly went for his under belly. Claws and teeth ripping and tearing.

The human in her was disgusted with the amount of blood. The werewolf found it invigorating.

Greyback and the black wolf were watching the fight, completely ignoring the cage. Faolan quietly snuck toward the cage. Her eyes met Harry's and he nodded. Maybe he had a plan. She looked toward the fight again and would have howled in triumph if she wasn't trying to sneak. Accalia had taken down the beefy wolf. The Black wolf instantly advanced on the now triumphant wolves.

She heard an odd hissing noise. Turning her attention back toward her brother, she noticed the cage fade out of existence.

Faolan would have continued toward her friend and brother but her path was blocked. She shrank in fear. Greyback stood before her, snarling.

\---

Harry watched as Accalia and Warg took down their first opponent. He was both terrified and impressed. He hadn't thought Accalia had any experience in combat; apparently, she knew her strengths.

When the black wolf sprang at his allies, Harry knew it was time to act. One werewolf was down; one was occupied and the last, at least for now, was content to watch.

He turned his full attention to Hermione for a moment. She looked at him and nodded. It was time to act.

Harry took a deep breath and pointed his wand at the cage. _"Cage cease to exist."_ He hoped he had gotten it right. Parseltongue was very literal when there was no invented spell. You needed to say exactly what you intended to happen. Simply saying vanish or disappear could cause something to go invisible when you actually meant for it to be completely gone. So, to get rid of the conjured cage he commanded it to not exist.

He gave a sigh of relief when the bars he had been leaning against stopped supporting him. As one, Harry and Hermione stood at full height, wands at the ready.

"What do we do now?"

"Help if we can while getting out of here. I am going to try to conjure silver spears with Parseltongue. Do you think you could hurl them at the wolves?"

"I have never performed a banishing spell."

"Do you know the incantation?"

"Depulso."

"Do you know the theory?"

"I've read up on it."

"So you try it. If it doesn't work just overpower a levitation spell and push the spears at high speed toward the target."

_ "Silver spears form." _

He felt the drain. The book had warned about that. He hadn't been specific enough. Spears kept forming. _"Spears stop forming._ " Now, he had thirteen silver spears.

Harry and Hermione turned when they heard a yelp of pain.

"FAY!" Hermione screamed. Greyback had blasted Faolan against a tree and was looming over her, his jaws wide ready to strike. "PROTEGO."

Harry was about to add his protection to Faolan when he heard another pained yelp. Warg was down. His face was bleeding, it looked as though the black wolf had managed to swipe his claws down Warg's face, cutting through one of his eyes.

Now, Accalia was one her own. The black wolf was winning.

Harry pointed his wand at one of the spikes and froze. How should he word it? Should he try that spell?

Hermione moaned. He whipped his head to her and saw her buckling. Greyback was breaking her shield.

\---

Faolan coward behind the quickly conjured shield. It hurt to breathe. Her instincts told her she had broken ribs. She could see the thin shield cracking with each hit from Greyback's sharp teeth.

The human inside wanted to cry. She was going to die. The wolf wanted to fight, but could barely breathe.

Her strong ears heard the shield shatter. The human mind was too chaotic. Fay closed her wolf eyes, knowing she was going to die.

Death didn't come. She heard the sounds of battle just in front of her. Opening her eyes, she saw the silver wolf that was like a grandmother to her fighting with all she had against the man, the wolf she loved. Tabitha had come to the rescue.

\---

He was getting too old for this. Not that thirty-four was old but at that point in time it certainly felt old. Severus Snape ran through the trees, headed toward the sounds of battle.

He and Black had managed to take down two of the wolves. Severus had seen Lupin take one out within seconds of finding it so he assumed the large Alpha wolf had taken out at least one more if not two. He didn't know where Tabitha or her friends were. He also didn't know where Aria, Fay and Lucas were. His hope was to find them soon.

Severus stumbled out of the trees to find pandemonium. Lucas was injured and his sight hindered. Aria was facing off against a large, powerfully built black wolf; the black wolf had the upper hand. Fay was down, clearly in pain, against a tree while Tabitha fought Greyback. Greyback was winning.

The black wolf sank his teeth into Aria's flank and she growled in pain. His eyes landed on silver spikes laying on the ground next to Harry and Hermione. Harry was standing; Hermione was one the ground, panting.

He flicked his wand at a spike and sent it careening toward the black wolf. The spike slammed into the black wolf, sending him toppling to the ground. Severus did not let up. He sent another two spikes toward the large wolf in quick succession. Each landed with deadly accuracy.

Readying another spike, he waited. If the wolf so much as twitched, Severus would send another spike at it, this one aimed at its head.

The wolf did not move.

He sidled toward his human students. "Are you alright, Harry? Hermione?"

"I'm fine professor. I think Hermione is in the beginnings of magical exhaustion. She tried to protect Fay, but Greyback kept attacking the shield."

"She managed to shield physical attacks? That is quite impressive, Miss Granger." She smiled slightly. "Now, we need to get you out of here if we can. I do not know what is holding the Dementors at bay but I fear it will not last long."

It was then the unending cold and unfailing despair enveloped them. Severus regretted mentioning them at all. The Dementors had come.

\---

Accalia struggled to her feet. Her left hind leg was bleeding profusely and it hurt to put pressure on it. She couldn't let that matter though. Warg needed her to be strong. Tabitha needed her help. The kids needed her to get them to safety.

Looking around, she found Warg with his back to a tree. His vision was compromised, so placing a barrier at his back was a good defense. For now, he would be fine.

Severus was with the children. She knew he was capable, he had dispatched the black wolf easily, so she thought he could take care of Harry and Hermione. She would aim for Faolan.

The sounds of struggle stopped.

Tabitha was on the ground, Greyback standing over her, his teeth sunk deep into her throat. The light was gone from her intelligent golden eyes.

She heard Hermione sob and Faolan whimper. The woman inside her wanted to weep, wanted to scream. The wolf in her wanted revenge.

Then she saw them.

Dementors were entering the clearing from all sides. As a werewolf, they would not target them. She knew that both logically and instinctually. They were not interested in the primitive mind. All they wanted was to feast on the mind and soul of a healthy, emotional human.

Greyback advanced toward Faolan, moving slowly, menacingly. Accalia snarled, attempting to draw his attention. He looked at her for but a moment only to shrug and continue on toward her cub.

She would not stand for that.

"Expecto Patronum." Severus bellowed and warmth filled the clearing.

"Expecto Patronum." Harry followed. Joy filled her bones. As the doe and fox charged the cloaked figures. 

"Expecto… Expecto Patro…" Accalia heard a thump as Hermione's legs gave out from underneath her.

Greyback. She must get to Greyback.

A snarl to her left, behind Severus and the kids, caught her attention. Stalking toward them was a light gray wolf. What should she do? Faolan needed her but so did the others.

Harry whirled and hissed. She didn’t know what he said. A large silver snake erupted from his wand and slithered with remarkable speed toward the wolf. It grew in length and thickness. In moments, it had wrapped around the wolf, binding its limbs together. The snake’s tail and mouth then seemed to fuse with the ground. The werewolf was no longer a threat.

Harry sank to his knees, panting. 

Now she could focus on Greyback. He was too close. She was never going to make it to Fay in time. Her leg was going to be too much of a hindrance. 

Then he was there. Right at her side. His tail brushed her as he passed, running full tilt, teeth bared toward their foe.

Moony had arrived.

He was beauty in motion. Every shift of his body was perfectly calculated.

Greyback was a large, powerfully built wolf. Compared to Moony, he appeared old and out of shape, at least to her that is.

It seemed like hours and yet was merely moments before Greyback fell. She had watched it, blow for blow, but could not seem to process it. Moony had won and made it seem easy. Moony had somehow made Greyback, his sire, look like an untrained child.

Moony took the few remaining steps toward Faolan and crouched next to her. She whined and nuzzled into him. She would be fine. He straightened and made his way to her. They nuzzled each other a moment then turned toward the approaching noises.

Moony growled. Three wolves from Greyback's pack were led into the clearing by Tabitha's friends. It seemed as though they had surrendered.

Padfoot came from another area, leading two older teens. One looked guilty and more than a little afraid. The other looked around and a look of disappointment crossed his face. He did not like the result of their war.

"Flint, Bole. It seems Mister Black was correct. You were indeed conspiring with werewolves against your fellow students. If you had not already finished your final year, Mister Flint I would ensure you were expelled. Unfortunately, I only get to expel your friend. It is likely that both of you will see the inside of Azkaban prison for this. You should ask your Grim guard what it is like. He spent a decade there and he was an innocent man."

"They were going to kill my family. They have my dad somewhere. If I didn't do as they said they would kill him and then make life difficult for my mom until they hunted her down and killed her too. My father is weak. I had to be strong for my mother."

"You could have come to me, Mister Flint."

"What's to say you would have believed me? Adults don't listen to kids, even when they are of age. Our house is divided Professor. You have made your position fairly clear. You don't follow the Dark Lord's dogma. The neutral families are now making their position clear within the house. The dark families are trying to turn them but are failing as more and more declare their disinterest with his cause. Those of us who would choose our own path, but can't due to familial pressure are buckling under the pressure."

"I understand that pressure, Mister Flint. I was not the pureblood fanatic many of my housemates were. My best friend was muggle-born." Flint's eyes widened. "I chose wrong because I didn't think anyone beyond my classmates would listen to me. Don't make the same mistake." Severus turned his eyes to the other boy. "What of you, Mister Bole?"

"It's a pity Potter didn't die. I would have settled for the mudblood, but I really wanted Potter dead. Slytherin would have won the quidditch cup if it weren't for him. Plus, he killed our Lord so he deserves death more than any other living being. I guess I will just have to…"

"Silencio." Severus snarled. A second flick of his wand and ropes wrapped around his arms and torso, binding him in a way that made it impossible for him to draw his wand.

"Miss Granger, can you stand?"

"Yes, Professor." Hermione stood shakily and leaned into Harry.

“Can you release the werewolf from his bindings, Mister Potter?”

Harry nodded and flicked his wand while hissing. The silver snake disappeared and the werewolf collapsed to the ground.

"I am going to take the students up to the school. I alerted Minerva and Poppy about what had happened. They should both be in the Hospital Wing. I believe Minerva planned to call the DMLE or possibly Amelia so she could hand pick who responded."

**Forbidden Forest – Friday June 24th** **(Early morning)**

Amelia Bones and Kingsley Shacklebolt stood with wands trained on the werewolves. The Head of the DMLE could see that a few werewolves had fallen in the midst of battle; she just hoped that no one on their side perished.

A mid-sized brown wolf snarled at them and started to move toward them, but stopped when the largest wolf growled at him. The black dog growled and circled the aggressive wolf and those closest to him; she assumed they were part of Greyback's pack.

The large wolf stepped forward slowly and stopped facing her.

"Greyback?"

The big wolf turned his head toward the side of the clearing. He stood and walked slowly in the direction he had looked.

Amelia followed.

He stopped a minute later. They had entered a second clearing. In the center of the clearing were three wolf bodies. The large tawny wolf walked to the wolves and stood next to the equally large body of a gray wolf.

"I take it that is Fenrir Greyback?"

The wolf nodded.

"Will it stay a wolf or will he transform back when the sun rises?"

The wolf looked to the sky, then down at the body again. She wasn't sure what he meant by that.

"He should revert to his original form when the moon falls."

She turned to find Severus Snape standing in the clearing with them. "I did not know you were here Potions Master Snape."

"I was seeing to the students."

"How many were involved?"

"Two were taken from the school as hostages. The kidnappers were two other students."

"Are all the students still alive?"

"Yes. The students taken hostage are completely unharmed, a little magical exhaustion but unharmed. I have the two kidnappers in custody up at the school."

She nodded. Technically, the school predated the ministry so she did not have jurisdiction over the students and staff until charges were filed with her department. "So, I will have a body to present that people will recognize as Greyback?"

The potions master looked to the wolf, "Yes. Moony says that the moon changes the body. When it is gone the body will revert. The only thing keeping him a wolf is that moon."

"The others?" She didn't want to know how he knew what the wolf wanted to say.

"The black wolf is one of Greyback's. You will find silver spears in him. I took him down when he tried to attack the red wolf." The tawny wolf snarled. "You saw for yourself she is fine. That large, muscled wolf was killed by the red wolf. The silver wolf was at one time Greyback's mate. She joined in the attack against Greyback as she did not agree with what he was doing. She was killed by Greyback when she jumped in the way of Greyback when he was attacking the youngest wolf."

"Are you saying Tabitha is dead?"

"I am."

Amelia frowned. She had respected the woman. Tabitha Greyback had lived her life by a strict code of ethics. "That is quite unfortunate. What of the rest of Greyback's pack?"

"There are thirteen other werewolves. Moony took down three in surrounding clearings. The dog and I took down another two who are also in surrounding areas. The two wolves that were unguarded took care of another four between them. The three wolves being guarded in the other clearing are from Greyback's pack and the weakest, they were rounded up by the dog and the other wolves. They are not strong enough to refuse Moony's commands with Greyback dead. The one that was laying on the ground was actually incapacitated by Mister Potter. He used some spell in Parseltongue that tethered the wolf to the ground, I am not sure exactly what it did. Those four are the only wolves still alive." He looked at the lightening sky. "The sun should be coming up soon."

The wolf nodded and looked at Amelia.

"Can you be trusted?"

She looked at Severus Snape. "What do you mean?"

"He leads a good life. He has a respectable job and takes precautions on the full moon. If his status as a werewolf were to get out, then he would lose his job and much of his credibility. There are others who would suffer from losing his support if he lost his job."

"He isn't registered?" His words supported her theory, and supported what Tabitha had confirmed.

"No. He has lived with the curse of the moon for thirty years and has never been revealed to the ministry."

"But he was found out?"

"Only by a group of exceptionally curious roommates."

"And he has never been a danger to anyone?"

"No." The wolf tilted his head in confusion. "You were not the reason there was danger that night. A reckless, angry boy was the reason I was put in danger."

"I will keep your identity secret, but just know that I will be watching you closely to ensure you do not slip up."

"I provide him with Wolfsbane every month." He smirked, "At Black's expense of course."

Amelia thought mister Lupin rolled his eyes at Snape's comment. "Good. Do you have a cloak nearby?"

Snape pulled an outer robe from somewhere in his own robe and threw it to the wolf. Somehow, the large wolf managed to catch it without tearing it.

Amelia turned to the Potions Master as the wolf walked into the trees. "You said two students kidnapped two others?"

"Yes. A third-year student, Draco Black witnessed Marcus Flint and Lucian Bole levitating Harry Potter and Hermione Granger out of the castle. He instantly headed to my office and let me know. It was suspected that Greyback would attack tonight, so a number of us, Harry included were on edge. I immediately contacted the werewolves in the area and we headed out to counter Greyback."

"Did Flint and Bole give a reason for their involvement?"

"Flint's father was being held hostage by Greyback. If Flint didn't do as asked Greyback would kill his father and do who knows what to his mother. Bole did it because Flint asked for help and he thought it would be fun. His words not mine."

"He thought it would be fun?" Severus nodded. "So he shows no remorse?"

"Flint is terrified and didn't want to do it. I think he may have done it where he did in hopes that another student would report it. Bole is actually disappointed that Granger and Potter weren't at least harmed."

"How old?"

"Flint is a seventh-year. He actually just managed to pass by school standards. Bole is a sixth-year. It will be my recommendation to the Headmaster that he be expelled and have charges placed against him."

"I will second that recommendation." Remus added stepping out of the trees.

"Remus Lupin, the best Defense professor my niece has ever had?" The man blinked. "I suspected it was you, then Miss Tabitha Greyback confirmed my suspicions. I promised her months ago that I wouldn't reveal your secret because of the success you have had in keeping it for thirty years. Now you have dispatched Fenrir Greyback. I can only offer you thanks."

"Who will get credit for dispatching him if you don't share my identity? He was obviously killed by another werewolf."

"Perhaps I will just use your wolf's name. He is called Moony right?"

"That might not be the best idea." She turned to see Sirius Black walking into the clearing. "I call him that all the time. There are dozens of people who have heard me call him that."

"Can I rename him?"

The group turned to see a small redhead and a young man enter the clearing. The red head was limping while the young man had a cloth pressed to his face, over his left eye.

Remus walked to her quickly. He held her face in his hands, "Are you alright?"

"Blacky got a nip in on my left leg, but other than that I'm alright."

He studied her, assessing for himself. Nodding, he turned his attention to the young man. "Lucas?"

"I was careless. The brown one that kept trying to attack the humans got in a lucky swipe. It will scar, but I can still see. At least I think I can."

"Let me see." Severus stepped up to him. Lucas removed the cloth and Severus waved his wand over the injury, muttering. "You are correct. It will scar, but for the most part your vision is safe. You may have some blurring peripherally. Your heightened senses should counter that near the full moon."

"It may heal during your next transformation." The two looked at Remus. "The transformation can heal injuries that would normally not return to full function. If the damage is minor enough you may regain full sight after your next transformation."

"I would like to test your sight before and after the next moon."

"Mister Snape," Amelia interrupted. "Would you help me transport the bodies to the other clearing. I would like to rejoin my Auror."

"Of course." He levitated Greyback, letting his head drag slightly.

"I will help you as well." Remus pulled his wand from his robe and began levitating Tabitha.

Amelia levitated what had once been a larger black wolf, but was now a large black man. She followed the limping redhead and the young man.

Shack and two men standing in nothing but trousers stood guard over three men tied to trees, the fourth man was still laying on the ground, moaning. The shirtless men were in their mid to late thirties, but considering they were werewolves they could be younger in actual age.

"I got an abridged version from Black, turns out he is an animagus."

"I was made aware of his animagus status some time ago. I registered him on the secure list. I take it these four were here to aid Greyback in killing Potter, Black and Lupin."

"They have gleefully told me that they were going to rip Harry Potter and his girlfriend to pieces while Lupin watched. They were then going to rip Black apart. As an added bonus, they were going to kill the other wolves while Lupin watched and then offer him a place in the pack. If he refused, they would kill him painfully."

"Those two?"

"They admitted to being part of Greyback's pack, but claim to have sided with a Miss Tabitha."

Amelia looked to the group surrounding Remus Lupin, he nodded. "That checks out with what the others shared with me. We will take the bodies to the ministry as well as those four. Mister Lupin, could I bother you to lead Shack to the other bodies?"

"Of course," Remus nodded and gestured to the woods. "This way."

Amelia looked around at those present. The shirtless men and Remus seemed to have come out unscathed. The redhead looked to be in some pain as did the young girl she was sitting next to. She made her way to the woman and girl. She crouched down in front of the pair. "Hello. I am Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Law Enforcement. How are you doing sweetheart?"

"It kind of hurts to breathe, but Professor Snape says that is to be expected when you break ribs. He says they are all still in place, but I should still probably take some Skele-Gro when I get back to the castle. I'm thinking of telling people I fell down the stairs and landed wrong. Other than that, I'm okay."

"Are you the granddaughter of Matthew Dunbar?"

She nodded sadly. "He sacrificed himself for me."

Amelia just nodded. "What can you tell me about tonight?"

"She sacrificed herself for me. Why do people keep dying while protecting me?”


	20. Meetings

**Hogwarts Staff Room**

“Are you trying to kill the boy?” Severus growled. It was official, the world wanted Harry Potter dead before he even had a chance to be his own man; time just hadn’t caught up with that reality yet. 

Albus had called a staff meeting. Like any end of the year staff meeting, they went over the previous year and what they needed to look out for during the following year. All in all, it had been a good year if you ignored the soul sucking Dementors and Werewolf attack. Albus had been disappointed in Flint and Bole. Flint would still graduate and would not spend time in Azkaban. He was on probation. His father went straight to Azkaban due to some things he had done for Greyback before the Hogwarts incident. Mathias Flint had killed a number of muggles and had aided the wolves in a few of their killing sprees by sealing the houses so the occupants could not escape. Marcus had felt trapped and felt remorse. He had cried, hard, when questioned. Amelia had decided to place him on probation. This meant that the trace was placed back on his wand. If he performed any magic even remotely dark, he would join his father in a neighboring cell in Azkaban. He would also have to do some community service under the supervision of the DMLE. 

Bole on the other hand, was expelled and would face time in Azkaban. They questioned him under Veritas Serum and learned some truly disturbing things about the young man. Not only did he wish that both Potter and Granger had died, while he watched; he actively hunted muggles and pre-Hogwarts age muggleborns with his father during the holidays using an unregistered family wand. Alaric Bole worked in the magical reversal offices of the ministry and knew when muggle-born children performed accidental magic. He had been hiding cases for years, murdering the families when he was supposed to be reversing the damages caused by the children. In the last few years, he had taken his son with him. Both Bole men had already had their trials and were cells on the same floor in Azkaban.

Now, Albus was telling them that Hogwarts would be hosting the Triwizard Tournament. The Tri-Wizard Tournament had been canceled centuries ago because too many people were killed during the tournament. The truly horrible bit was that it wasn’t just the contestants that were killed, in one tournament over a hundred spectators, including a headmaster, were killed during one event and all of the contestants died. It should not have been brought back.

“Whatever do you mean, Severus?”

“Harry Potter is a magnet for danger. If there is even a slight possibility of danger, then Harry Potter will find it. Mark my words, Harry Potter will be entered into this tournament.”

“There are protections. The tournament will only be open to students that are of age. I will personally be placing an age line. There is no way for him to be entered.”

“You also said that Harry would not be in danger this year.” Remus added quietly. “You said he would not be in danger of the Dementors and you also said there was no way Greyback would get a hold of him. You were wrong on both counts.”

“Well, I assure you, I am going to do everything in my power to ensure that Harry is not in any danger this year. You have my word on that.”

“Just say that he isn’t entered,” Minerva entered the fray. “In the past, spectators have died.”

“The tasks will be much safer. There will be no raging Cockatrice to break through protections and incinerate spectators.”

“Can we also assume that there won’t be a Nundu?”

“Really, Severus? You cannot think us that callous? Even the most seasoned Dark Arts Masters rarely attempt to see those magnificent creatures, let alone face them. How would we even get one here without killing dozens of people?”

“His point was not the loss of life getting it here, but the insanity of placing a child against it, alone.” Filius sighed. “I will just add my disapproval to this idea and leave it at that.”

“The Tournament is being brought back to improve international magical cooperation.”

“At the expense of three children? We could improve international magical cooperation by having the schools compete in quidditch or dueling. This is ludicrous.” 

Albus’s eyes widened in shock at Pomona speaking out. The Hufflepuff rarely spoke out against anyone, let alone him. “Now, Pomona, my dear, we do not plan to sacrifice the contestants. Every precaution is being taken to ensure their safety.”

“Unfortunately, Albus, past history does not endear your plans to us.” Poppy scolded. “You said that no one would be hurt when you were keeping that stone on the third floor. Misters Weasley and Potter both spent time in my care because of the ‘protections’ you placed. I had many students in my care, petrified by a BASILISK. On top of that Miss and Mister Weasley were in terrible condition and required months of mind healing; Miss Weasley still meets with her mind healer weekly. Oh, and let’s not forget Lockhart vanishing all of the bones in Mister Potter’s arm. Need I remind you about the Dementors or the Werewolves?”

Albus thought he hid his cringe rather well, he was wrong. “I am working diligently with the ministry and the other Headmasters to ensure that the tournament is challenging for the students but still safe. You have my word.”

“When this goes south, you owe me.” Poppy stood and walked out of the room.

Filius, Pomona, Minerva and the minor staff members left silently. Only Remus and Severus remained. 

“I will be training Harry and his friends this summer. They will be well ahead of their peers in terms of dueling and defending themselves.” Remus didn’t need to say why. They all knew he thought this was a horrible idea.

“Black will kill you if anything happens to Potter. Lupin will help him. I won’t do anything to stop them.”

“Severus…”

“No, Albus. I thought you had realized that you couldn’t do as you have always done in the past. We know he is trying to come back and we know how he stayed alive. Albus, Tiberius Nott has one of his Horcruxes and plans to resurrect him. Doing this tournament now is just inviting one of them to attack the boy. That isn’t even mentioning all of his other ‘Imperius Curse’ followers that are still at large.”

“I do not think they will strike the tournament. Nott has his plan already and Lucius is helping him. Most will not move without consulting Lucius. As for Voldemort, he has enough problems. I think he will be more concerned with gaining a body before going after Harry again.”

Severus sighed. “I am with Poppy on this one, Albus. When your plans all come crashing down, you will owe a great many people apologies. You are very fortunate that so many people will be looking out for Mister Potter this year, if we weren’t, I fear his life would be very short.”

Albus pinched the bridge of his nose as Severus left the room with a swirl of his robes. 

Was he really missing so many signs of danger?

**Bill’s Apartment, Diagon Alley**

Harry was both excited and nervous. He had done as Ron suggested; he had asked Bill if he could set up a time he could talk to Bill’s Parselmouth acquaintance. Bill had set it up and now he was going to meet the guy. He had so many questions. 

Bill walked into the room with a darker skinned man, Harry guessed he was from India or somewhere in the surrounding area. He was shorter than Bill and had more of a boxer’s build, his hair and eyes dark. All in all, he and Bill couldn’t look more different. What was most interesting about the man was the fact that he had a snake draped over his shoulders.

“Harry, this is Ahsan Jahar. Ahsan, this is Harry Potter.”

“Nice to Meet you, Mister Potter.”

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Mister Jahar. Please call me Harry.”

“It is my pleasure, Harry, this is my familiar Jai,” he said, indicating the snake that Harry thought was a cobra. “It is the job of any Parselmouth to teach the next generation so that the gift and magic is not lost or abused. Please call me Ahsan. Bill said you had questions. What did you want to know?”

Harry smiled and began.

\---

“So, is it possible?”

Ahsan had enjoyed teaching the boy and answering his questions. The boy was inquisitive, intelligent and very determined. Ahsan had helped two other Parselmouths in recent years, all from his home land. Those students had taken the gift for granted. Harry, however, saw the gift for what it was, a rare, beautiful gift. Ahsan was exceptionally pleased the boy had done so much studying. He could tell the boy had read the entire book he had sent when Bill requested it. Harry’s questions were intellectual and showed he had researched the subject.

The fact that Harry Potter had already cast Parselmagic successfully, without knocking himself unconscious from exhaustion, was both amazing and impressive. If he continued to work with the gift, and his magic continued to develop the way it was, then he would be able to do a great many things his peers could not.

“In theory, it is possible. I would never attempt it myself as I do not have the power to live through such an endeavor, but with the right power reserves, yes it should be possible.”

“Could I do it?”

“That I cannot say. You are still growing, as is your core. Right now, you do not have the magical reserves for something so complicated. In the future, who can say? You are remarkably strong for your age, so you could very well be remarkably strong once you reach your magical maturity.”

“What about pulling from the surrounding residual magics?”

“In theory that would add to the power you would be able to achieve but pulling from nature has its own problems. The area may not have the reserves you need so pulling from your surroundings could still drain you or kill weaker organisms in the area. There is also the fact that pulling from the earth leaves you open to all forms of attack.”

“What if the area was one that was saturated?”

“Such as the Ley lines?” 

Harry nodded. “Or the grounds of a magical school?”

“Yes, those types of areas would be ideal for such an attempt but again you would still leave yourself open to attack. Malicious spirits are drawn to such high concentrations of magic. Your mind would also be left entirely open to attack. This is not even taking into account you are open to attack from other wizards when in the middle of this process.”

“I understand that. I am going to be learning Occlumency. That would help wouldn’t it?”

“Yes, it would, if you managed to master it.”

“So, in theory, I could do it?”

Ahsan took a deep breath. “Yes. I want to caution you, however, do not take on something you do not have the ability to cast. Harry, do not try anything without some kind of supervision. Parselmagic is capable of a great many things but it also has very dire consequences if something goes wrong. It is amazing you managed so well when casting recently. Most push themselves into exhaustion the first time they attempt unscripted Parselmagic. You said yourself, you didn’t word one spell right and your magic kept working beyond what you had intended, putting a drain on you. Had you not realized it soon enough you could have fallen unconscious and then things might not have turned out as they had.”

Harry nodded. He was well aware his mistake could have changed things. If he had fallen unconscious, then someone else could have died. “I was lucky. It was a lesson well learned.”

“I applaud you for focusing on this.” Ahsan continued with the topic they had been discussing. “What you want to do is very noble. Before you even try, I want you to talk to those involved. Don’t do something that could alter lives without discussing it with them.”

“I wouldn’t do anything without talking to them. I don’t even think most of them would want me to do this. I just wanted to know if you knew if it worked and to see if you thought it was possible. If I could change one life, I think that would be enough for me.”

“Proceed with caution, Harry. I will speak to those who taught me, perhaps they will know more on the subject. I am well versed in Parselmagic, but I lack the power necessary for the most complicated of the craft.” 

“Okay. That would be great. Do you mind if I owl you if I have questions?”

“You are free to owl me with any questions you might have, Harry. Now, before I go, I wanted to talk to you about one other thing. Is your guardian available to come talk as well?”

Harry shrugged. “I can call and see if Sirius is home yet. He was supposed to be busy with Wizengamot things for most of the day. I could also ask Remus to come.”

“Please do that.”

Harry pulled out a mirror and moved to the other room. He came back a few moments later. “Sirius is busy with meetings but he said Remus was capable of acting in his stead. Remus should be here in a minute.”

As Harry said, Remus stepped out of the Floo a few moments later. “Good afternoon, Bill. You must be Ahsan Jahar, I’m Remus Lupin. Thank you for taking time to speak to Harry about his Parselmagic questions. He has been very diligent in his studies.”

“It is my honor and pleasure, Mister Lupin. I was pleased to be able to discuss our gift with him. It is always a joy to speak with an intelligent and interested student.” Ahsan and Remus smiled at Harry. He really was a great student when he put his mind to it. “I wanted to talk to his guardian for a moment about something that I believe is necessary for every Parselmouth.”

“Of course. Sirius is his Godfather, and I assume Harry told you he is busy with his political duties this afternoon. I am essentially Harry’s uncle and his Godfather has given me leave to make decisions when he is unable to.”

“Very good. Now, I wanted to ask you if you would consider allowing Harry to purchase a snake. I do not bring this up only because Parselmouths can speak to snakes but also because certain breeds of snake can actually help in casting complicated spells in Parseltongue. If a magical breed agrees to bond with a Parselmouth, they can even boost the power of the Wizard when casting in Parseltongue.”

Remus blinked. They honestly hadn’t even thought about it. If it helped Harry, Sirius would have no objections. Remus had no objections. He turned to Harry. “Would you like a snake?”

Harry blinked as well. “Honestly, I have never thought about it. Not seriously anyway. Aunt Petunia hated animals in general and thought snakes were particularly disgusting. She wouldn’t even let Dudley get one when he asked.” He shook his head. 

His Aunt’s family was an odd subject for him. He still didn’t know what to feel about that whole mess. “I did think about getting one that one time I talked to the Boa constrictor at the zoo the one time they took me with them.”

Remus turned to the older Parselmouth, “It would benefit him to get a snake?”

“It has improved the abilities of all Parselmouths I have worked with. Parselmagic isn’t the most structured of magics. Snakes have an innate understanding of casting in Parseltongue and can give advice to their Wizard when they are planning a spell. As I said before, they can also boost the magic available to the wizard which reduces the chance of draining one’s self when casting in Parseltongue. If the bond is strong enough, they can even help the wizard monitor his magic levels and caution the caster if a spell may cause a dangerous drain or if the wording is incorrect.”

“What do you think, Harry?”

Harry smiled, realizing that Remus, and by extension Sirius, was leaving the decision up to him. “I would like to get a snake.” He stroked the head of Jai, Ahsan’s snake. The large king cobra was curled up on the table, his head near Harry. “Would you come with me, Ahsan?”

“I would be honored to accompany you.”

**Grimmauld Place**

“THAT’S SO COOL! Mom, can I get a snake?” Draco didn’t wait for his mother’s response; he instantly turned his attention back to the green and blue snake.

Narcissa Black was trying not to have a panic attack. She really wasn’t a big fan of snakes. That would sound odd to anyone who she had gone to school with, she was a Slytherin after all, but it was true all the same. She took a deep breath and looked at Harry’s new friend. 

“Having flashbacks?”

She turned to find Sirius standing behind her. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

“Harry isn’t going to let Rah, a deadly venomous boomslang, hurt anyone.”

Narcissa raised an eyebrow in doubt. 

“Remus told me Ahsan assured him that Harry being a Parselmouth will ensure that the snake is docile around his family. Rah will not be like Bella’s snake.”

“You say that, and intellectually I believe that. However, you didn’t live in that house with that snake. Who buys a horned viper for a nine-year-old child with a vindictive nature? Bellatrix couldn’t speak to the creature so she couldn’t keep it from striking whatever it wished. Horned vipers are highly venomous. That little devil killed my cat, three family owls, mother’s Persian, and three House Elves. It tried to kill Andromeda and father on multiple occasions. The only reason no one died is that father decapitated the thing before it could kill him.”

“I won’t let Rah hurt anyone.” 

Narcissa dropped her gaze to Harry. She hadn’t noticed him leaving Draco and his snake. “I know that. I just had a horrible experience with a snake as a child. My eldest sister got one for her birthday one year and she tormented the poor thing, which meant that it was hostile toward everything that moved in the house.”

“He won’t hurt my family. Rah is young and he says that I am his brother. My family is his family. He promised to protect our family.”

“Why don’t you tell me about him.”

The rest of the family settled down to listen in too. It wasn’t every day you got to hear about a snake from someone who could communicate with one.

“Rah is a magical boomslang. You can tell he is magical by the blue scales mixed with the green. Male non-magical boomslang snakes are green and black. Female non-magical boomslang are mostly brown. Magical boomslang are green with blue scales, both male and female.” He had been rather surprised by that fact. Muggles found magical boomslang all the time they just didn’t know it. 

“Rah was bred in captivity. He actually doesn’t remember anything about his mother or nest mates.”

“How big will he get?”

“Boomslang generally range from about three feet to five feet long. Females tend to be larger but in magical species it is actually determined by the magical concentration within the snake. When bonded to a wizard the snake may gain more magic and thus grow larger. Ahsan said he thinks Rah will actually end up being among the largest of his breed, he said to anticipate him growing to six feet in length, perhaps longer.”

Seeing Narcissa shiver slightly, he quickly added another tidbit shared by Ahsan. “Snakes bonded to a Parselmouth can sometimes moderate their size consciously. I was a bit concerned with how big he could get but Rah thinks that we can change his size if the situation calls for it. It will take practice though.” 

Narcissa bit her lip watching the snake slither over her son’s arms. She wasn’t sure she could get used to that.

“Rah says that he likes you because you show proper reverence to snakes.” Harry smiled at Draco. 

“Why wouldn’t I show reverence to snakes? I am a Slytherin after all. All Slytherins should respect snakes. They are the symbol of my house.”

“Rumor is that Parkinson is petrified of snakes. Cobras in particular.”

“That is true. She thinks they are gross and slimy. We keep telling her that snakes aren’t slimy but she won’t listen. Greengrass and Davis suggested that she try to transfer to Hufflepuff so she wasn’t represented by an animal she found repulsive. I thought it was funny.” Draco stroked the snake’s head. “Do you think I could take Rah to the Slytherin common room so I could scare some of my more irritating housemates?”

Harry opened his mouth to respond but was cut off.

“No, Draco, you can’t use Harry’s snake to scare your housemates.” Narcissa was firm with her son. “Firstly, because it could and should get you and Harry in trouble. Secondly, one of your more aggressive housemates could hurt Rah if surprised.”

Draco sighed. “I suppose you’re right. Can I at least be there the first time Parkinson sees Rah?”

“I don’t even know if I will be allowed to take Rah to school. I already have a familiar.”

“You can take Rah, Harry.” Remus smiled. “Rah, in this case, can be considered a tool to improve your control and understanding of magic. There are allowances in the bylaws to allow certain items not listed on the general supply list if that item in some ways improves a student’s ability to learn. Rah is bound to you and will help you gain control of your magic because snakes have that instinctual ability to understand Parselmagic. It would be highly irresponsible for you to not bring Rah to school with you when you are attempting to improve your understanding of Parselmagic.”

Harry smiled at Remus. Leave it to Remus to already have researched the problem and found a loophole that would not only allow him to bring a second pet but would allow him to bring a pet not on the approved list. “Thank you for checking that out.”

“You’re welcome. Just make sure you take precautions while at school. You will have to be watchful and may not be allowed to take him everywhere you would want to.”

“Do you think I should send a letter to my teachers to inform them of my hope to explore my Parselmagic and Rah’s part in that?”

“I think it would be a very good idea to inform your Head of House.” Narcissa smiled at the boy. “You could also inform the other Heads of House if you felt the need, but telling Professor McGonagall is all you really need to do.”

“You should tell Severus.” Draco added quickly. “I think he would be very interested in having a boomslang on hand. I think he could use Rah’s shed skin in potions and he may be able to use his venom if you would allow him to milk Rah.”

**Elsewhere**

_It was cold._

_She wasn’t sure why it was cold; she was fairly certain it was still summer. Last she remembered; she was with her parents on vacation in the south of France. The weather had been fantastic. She was developing an amazing tan and her skin glowed gold because of it._

_It shouldn’t be cold._

_The forecast for that day said sunny skies. When she had been lying on the beach, there hadn’t been a cloud in the sky. The water was warm and the sand almost too hot to stand on._

_Yet, she was shivering._

_Come to think of it, when had she changed from her sun dress, with her bikini underneath, to jeans and a jumper? She didn’t remember packing that particular jumper. She wasn’t sure she had packed a jumper at all. Despite not having packed the jumper, she was wearing it and a pair of jeans she was sure were still in her closet back home._

_It was too early to be this dark._

_It was never really too dark near the hotel. They were at a tourist area. There were lights on nearly 24 hours a day so even when the moon was high it wasn’t that dark._

_And yet, she could barely see her hand. The hand she had stretched out before here to feel her way._

_Her hand hit the bark of a tree. Looking down, she saw the forest floor. She wasn’t on the beach or on the streets around the hotel._

_When had she ended up in a forest? Why did it remind her of the Forbidden Forest?_

_Shaking her head, she looked around. There were trees everywhere. She wasn’t sure why, but she could see farther now. All she could see was trees and fog, all of that surrounded by the inky black of night._

_This was definitely not right._

_She let out a huge breath, a breath that was visible it was so cold._

_That’s when she heard it. The screams of pain that haunted her sleep._

_That’s when she felt it. The cold that wasn’t from the weather, but from deep inside. The cold that was caused by the absence of everything good. The cold caused by them._

_Dementors._

_A boy ran into the circle of trees she was standing in. His breathing loud, probably due to his terror filled run. The Dementor glided behind him._

_He tripped. Like in every bad horror movie ever written, he tripped and the Dementor gained ground on him. He was going to lose._

_The boy turned over and scrambled backwards in a crablike fashion. It was Harry. Her Harry._

_The Dementor reached out his skeletal hand and grasped onto Harry’s torn shirt. It lifted him up, pulling his face toward its hooded head._

_She couldn’t move._

_It leaned in and delivered the kiss…_

Hermione let out a scream and sat up in bed, breathing heavily. She was shaking. Gasping, she pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She was so tired.

“Are you all right, Hermione?”

She looked up to see her mother standing in the doorway of their two-bedroom suite. “Sorry to wake you, mum. It was just a bad dream.”

Grace frowned. “Is it really just a bad dream? You have been having a lot of nightmares lately.”

Hermione looked down at her bed coverings. It was true. She had had a nightmare nearly every night since the Werewolf/Dementor incident. She couldn’t explain it. Why was this incident causing her so much trouble? Her school life had been filled with dangerous situations, all of which had been possibly life threatening. 

“Talk to me, Hermione.” Her mother said when she didn’t answer.

“I don’t know what to say.” And she didn’t. Hermione had shared all the troubles she had had over the years with her parents. She had been only slightly surprised when they hadn’t pulled her from school. Grangers didn’t quit, pulling her from school would have been quitting. “The night of the full moon wasn’t any different than any other situation I’ve been in in school. I actually felt prepared and calm throughout the most recent incident. We had been getting extra help in Defense from Remus, Professor Flitwick and Professor Snape, so when I noticed we were in the forest I wasn’t all that concerned. I knew Harry would get us out of there. He has a knack for it.”

Grace let her talk. She needed to find what was wrong within herself.

“He had a plan. That was new but it made me even more confident. For once, I wasn’t the one trying to fix things. It was going great. Everything was going to plan and we weren’t even targeted by the wolves. Then Professor Snape showed up and I had no fear. Professor Snape is intimidating but he was there to save us.” 

Hermione ran her hands through her frizzy brown hair. “Then I felt the cold. I don’t have horrible memories, not like some of my friends, but with so many of them so close…” she trailed off. She saw the troll when they were that close. She saw the basilisk’s reflection. She saw Harry falling off his broom. “I get why Harry froze the first time he was around them. What I heard was so distracting and I heard it through a fog.”

“What do you keep dreaming about?”

“It’s different every time.”

“Is there a common theme?”

“I dreamt about the Dementors chasing Harry down. One gave him the kiss. Last night, Harry didn’t survive against the Basilisk. It ate him whole. Then there was the one where Harry was killed by our first year Defense teacher, the one who had Voldemort growing out the back of his head. I see Harry falling off his broom, when he hits the ground he doesn’t get back up. I’ve seen the troll’s club squashing him and the Cerberus tearing him to pieces.”

“Do you see the common element?”

“No, all the settings are different. There is nothing repetitive about them.”

“Hermione, in each and every one of those dreams, something happens to Harry.”

Her eyes widened. She should have seen that. Why hadn’t she seen that? “Why didn’t I see that?”

Grace pushed off the door frame and walked to the bed. She sat on the side of the bed and put a hand on Hermione’s shoulder. “Maybe you didn’t want to admit that he was that important to you.”

“We are so young, mom. He shouldn’t be that important to me, right? I’m going to be fifteen in a few months and he turns fourteen at the end of the month; teenagers don’t find their ONE that soon.”

“Life is different for everyone, Hermione. Some people go through frog after frog until they find their prince. Some people find their prince the first time they go out looking. I’m not saying that Harry is your prince but I’m also not saying that he isn’t.”

“What are you saying?”

“Don’t fight it. Let it play out. For the love of all that is holy, don’t overthink it.”

“Mum?”

“I know what you’re thinking. Your father and I aren’t the most emotionally available people. We don’t shower you or each other with affection. I was raised in an emotionally distant family, as you well know, and your father is a man when it comes to that sort of thing; emotion makes him uncomfortable. But you aren’t us. Despite the way you grew up, with the parents we are and always have been, you always felt so much. We didn’t know how to handle that so we didn’t acknowledge your emotional needs. We weren’t the best parents for you growing up because we didn’t know what to do with you.”

“Mum…”

“No. We weren’t great parents. You are far smarter than either of us and you feel so much more than we ever did. We love you, but we have never really understood you. Your intelligence is intimidating. I was raised to not show how I felt. Your father just never showed how he felt. You felt everything and showed it too.” Grace took her daughter’s hand. “My advice to you is to hold on tight for however long he holds this place in your heart. If that is for a few weeks or a year, great. If it is for the rest of your life, then when you are my age you will think back to this moment and realize that this was the moment that changed your life for the better.”

“I love you, Mum.”

“And I love you, Hermione.” She smiled at her daughter, who had happy tears brimming in her eyes. “I think you need to get some sleep. Remember we leave in the morning.”

Hermione nodded. Everything should be better now. Tomorrow they returned to Britain. Tomorrow she returned to Harry. 

**Hogsmeade**

Severus, Remus and Sirius sat in front of the fire at the Hogsmeade house. Albus had asked that the information about the tournament be kept secret but they really didn’t care. Most Ministry workers knew by now so the Wizengamot would know soon enough if they didn’t already know. 

They didn’t want to leave Sirius in the dark.

“What are we going to do?”

Severus had laid it out quickly. He didn’t mince words or attempt to make it sound like something good. He just said it was coming.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t think Harry will somehow be put in danger because of this. If, by some miracle, he isn’t entered he will end up in danger from one of the tasks. But let’s just face it, Harry will be entered and I honestly doubt there is anything we can do to stop it. So, what are we going to do?”

“You know I have been training the kids. I plan to step it up even more. I want to get Harry dueling daily.” Remus had already started his plan. “What I want to know is if we should tell them it is coming.”

“I think we should.” Severus leaned on his elbows on his knees. “I would rather not have him surprised. Harry is very observant and has good instincts. If he is aware of a possible threat, perhaps his senses will be much more perceptive.”

“I can’t keep something like this from hm. Not only would I be unable to, he would also probably see it as a betrayal. I promised to protect him. If I don’t tell him, I am leaving him open to attack.”

“We are all in agreement. When do we tell him?”

“After the World Cup.”

“Agreed.”

“Who tells him?”

“That would be your job, Black.”

“I was thinking Remus should do it. He knows more about his kind of thing.”

“No, Siri, Severus is right. You tell him. I will be there to explain the details, but you tell him.”

“I hate giving him bad news.”

“Don’t we all?”

“Do we tell the other kids?”

“May as well. Harry will tell them anyway.”

“What do we do about Albus?”

“I don’t know.” Severus sighed. “Sometimes just isn’t right with him. I don’t understand why he can’t see that this is a terrible idea. I don’t understand why he is so cavalier with Harry’s safety.”

**Minister’s Office**

Cornelius Fudge was feeling good. Things had been going rather well despite the Dementor thing. His public approval rating was at an all-time high. The public loved a minister who was in charge when the most dangerous Werewolf in recent history was brought down. He wished he could meet that Romulus guy, whoever that was, and thank him for bringing down Greyback. 

It wasn’t going to happen of course, because he wasn’t registered; normally he would push the wolf to register but considering the favor he did the people of Wizarding Britain he would let it slide, for now. He just needed to make sure Dolores never got wind of it.

There had been some changes in recent days and he really didn’t mind either. The Blacks were stirring things up in the Wizengamot. Their most recent campaign was in moderation. He suspected Narcissa had something to do with that, it seemed too subtle for Sirius Black’s outlandish reputation. They had called to question some of the harsher laws, asking if they really wanted a no tolerance system. Oddly enough, the Greyback incident pushed the majority in their direction, not in Dolores’s camp. Sirius Black had a way with words and his call for understanding had swayed a good portion of the neutrals. 

Who could argue with a man who so eloquently raved about the efforts of Romulus and his pack? No one could punish the wolf who brought down Greyback, at least not in the way they would have punished Greyback and his most fanatical followers. When Sirius had asked for a change, they had jumped at the chance to try.

So now they were reviewing creature laws. Sentient beings were being given more leniency as long as they complied with laws and lived peacefully. He had no problem with that. In his mind, it meant support from corners he wouldn’t normally get support from without him losing the traditional vote. The new standards didn’t change much for those who pushed the pure-blood agenda; they let it slide as they had bigger battles ahead.

Then there was the World Cup final game. Cornelius was exceptionally proud of his efforts in gaining the prestigious honor of hosting them. True, most of the negotiations had been done by Crouch, due to his status as head of International Magical Offices, but he was still there, shaking hands and kissing babies. The people wouldn’t thank Barty Crouch, no they would thank his boss, the Minister for Magic. 

For some odd reason, Barty had been rather active lately. First, getting the Final game played in Britain was quite the achievement. Then he had managed to bring back the Triwizard Tournament. Cornelius wasn’t sure how long he had been working on that but it must have been years. Perhaps Crouch was finally finding his backbone after all these years of letting the shame get to him.

Cornelius knew he was lucky that Barty’s son had ended up being a Death Eater. Without that scandal, he never would have made it to office.

His assistant opened the door and showed in Amelia Bones. “Ah, right on time as always, Amelia.”

“You know me, I never waste time being early and can’t stand lateness so never indulge in it.”

He chuckled. Yes, that was Amelia. Perhaps that was one of the reasons she hated Dolores so much. Dolores was often late, normally citing delayed staff or intensive research. He and Amelia knew Dolores was often lying about her excuses; she was never late for meetings with people who showed her the respect she thought she deserved after all. “An attitude I can get behind. Time is money after all.”

“What did you wish to speak to me about?”

“Right to business then. I wanted to personally inform you I do not intend to let any information about Mister Romulus leak. I am not even going to push meeting him personally. With the way things have been the last few decades, I understand his wish for secrecy. All I want is for you to inform him that as long as he lives safely, he has a friend at the Ministry.”

Amelia nodded, seeing the message for what it was. If ‘Romulus’ screwed up, then Fudge wouldn’t hesitate in going after him with the full force of the Minister’s office. Of course, knowing the man, she knew he would never slip and she had told him that she would hunt him down herself if he did. 

“I will pass the message.”

“Thank you. I also wanted to ask you to look over the security for the World Cup. As you know, I had Rufus and Barty heading this. Rufus being the Head Auror and Barty, with his experience in your department, know what they are doing but I would feel better having you look it over. I feel a different eye might see something they missed.”

Translation, they’re both men and you have proven yourself to be a woman with a good eye and great instincts. Cornelius wasn’t wrong, she was a woman and would probably look at the plan from a different perspective. “I will have that reviewed before the end of the day. If I find anything concerning, do I have your leave to adjust forces?”

“Yes. Fix what you think is necessary.”

“Thank you. Was there anything else? I don’t have much time today and with the World Cup review added in, I will probably have to work from home for a few hours.”

“Just one last thing I would like your opinion on. Barty approached me about a possible problem with providing security for the Triwizard Tournament. As you know, Hogwarts predates the Ministry and therefore we can’t have Aurors on the grounds for more than a few hours without them being seen as an invading force.”

“Yes, this dates back to the time when Magical lords did send their personal security forces onto the grounds when attempting to kidnap or assassinate the children of their enemies. They often sent bodyguards with orders to assassinate the children of other lords while guarding their own wards. What was his suggestion?”

“He wanted to know if we could send in Moody.”

“How so?”

“I believe he said something about there being a place in the wards for Hogwarts to hire security. They haven’t needed more than just the teachers in hundreds of years but there is a place for them within the bylaws and wards. The Ministry could fund his appointment, as we had already budgeted a small security detail for tournament events, and Hogwarts could have an extra eye for when the other schools arrived. We would still have a team on the grounds for the events but Moody would be the eyes and ears throughout the year and could update the team on possible breaches in security.”

Amelia nodded. It was a good plan, which wasn’t surprising considering it was coming from Barty. It wouldn’t place the force under any strain, considering the fact that if she was to choose from her existing fact, she would choose a Senior Auror and she really didn’t have the staffing to lose a Senior Auror. Additionally, it would put the most paranoid man she had ever met in charge of the security of children. He wouldn’t leave anything to chance. Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody was probably the best man for any security job. 

“Has anyone talked to Albus about this?”

“I was planning on discussing this with him personally but wanted your opinion before I did so.”

“Then discuss away. There isn’t anyone I would trust more with the children’s security than Alastor.”

“Fantastic. Here are the plans for the World Cup.” He handed over a stack of parchment. “Thank you, Amelia.”

She nodded and left the office. It was surprising; it seemed like Cornelius was really coming into his own. Things in the Ministry had been going rather well since Dolores Umbridge had been moved to the Transportation Department. A rather ingenious move. It was both insulting and fitting. Amelia just wished she had been moved to Records instead. That would have been a bigger insult to the horrible woman.

**Hogsmeade**

Remus and Aria were tense. Kurt had sent word that Aengus O'Connell, the head of the Irish pack, wanted to meet with them. Aengus was an honorable man. He would not let word leak that he was seeking an audience if he was coming for nefarious purposes, but they were still cautious. 

Ashton had also sent word. The Packs on the continent wanted to set up meetings with the ‘New British Alpha.’ He said that he had been approached by the French, Russian, Italian and Spanish packs while he was tracking the dangerous escapees of Greyback’s pack.

When Greyback was killed, the pack disbanded. Those loyal to Tabitha and her mission had gone to a preset meeting point, they were faring rather well. Kurt and Ashton were taking the lead there, not as Alphas, but more as betas. They had pledged their loyalty to Remus on Tabitha’s death. Remus did not want a large pack but was willing to be their Alpha to a point. He would deal primarily with Kurt and Ashton; Kurt and Ashton would deal with the pack and would only require Remus in dire situations or political ones. 

The rest of the pack had dispersed far and wide. Some, the ones who were docile, had sought out other packs on the continent. The more aggressive ones had gone rampaging. Those who followed Greyback’s vicious tendencies continued to lay waste to whatever they wished. Kurt and Ashton took offence to this so Ashton had started hunting them down. Luckily, most of the pack was not that blood thirsty. Ashton had found four of the ten he was tracking so far.

Aengus had contacted Remus the day before to set up a meet with him. They had chosen the Hogsmeade house because it was where they spent their moons. It was the Wolves’ home. 

They did not hear him or smell him before he knocked. This was not surprising considering it was about as far from the full moon as you could get. 

Aria rose to go to the door but Lucas was already moving. The young man had regained most of his eyesight during the last full moon. He would always carry a long scar down his face, cutting through his eyebrow and over his eye, but he would not be hindered with partial blindness.

Lucas led in Aengus and three others. One, Remus knew, was his mate, Maeve. The others, Aria had informed him, would be members of the guard. 

“Thank you for agreeing to see me, Alpha Lupin.”

“You are welcome, Alpha O’Connell. Please call me Remus.” Remus had met Aengus before and had always insisted the other man use his given name.

“Of course, Remus. You can call me Aengus as well.”

Remus studied the man. He was an impressive man. Aengus was more than a decade older than Remus, nearly fifteen years in fact. He had a thick, brawler’s build with silver hair that curled around his collar. His eyes were nearly golden despite the time of the month.

“This is my mate, Maeve. Those two are my guards, a necessity I am sure you understand, Arthur and Winston.”

Remus nodded. “It is a pleasure to see you again, Maeve. I hope you remember Aria. She is my mate. I have to thank you for guiding her in her early years while adjusting to the moon.” He really hated this protocol. “This is a member of my pack. Lucas was turned by Greyback a few months ago.”

“It is good to see you again, Aria. I see you have achieved your goal, just in a way you never dreamed of. Now down to the reason I am here. I would like to thank you for taking care of Greyback once and for all.” He bowed his head slightly, a sign of respect. No Alpha lowered his head lightly. It was only done when conceding to another’s rule or in recognition of an equal. “I will admit to you, the man who dispatched him, that I lacked the strength and fighting ability to do it myself. I have the respect of my pack and the Alpha presence necessary to lead them. I am not, however, the most powerful Alpha in existence. I have kept my seat due to my ability to lead and the loyalty of those more practiced in combat than I. Had I done as I wished and attempted to bring him to heel myself, I fear I would have perished. 

“I kept my pack to Ireland and he kept his activities off of my turf. He and I were both certain of the outcome if we were to clash. I would be dead but he would lose a great many troops to my pack. We fight as a team whereas he and his pack always fought alone.”

“That was his downfall.” Remus agreed. It would be the height of dishonor to comment on the man’s lack of strength or fighting ability. Remus could comment on the reason for Greyback’s downfall. “While his wolves were strong, they lacked strategy and teamwork. My mate took down a wolf twice her size with the help of Lucas, a new wolf. Many of his other wolves were taken down by a Wizard of great talent and an Animagus. One was even taken down by a thirteen-year-old boy.”

Aengus nodded. “Yes, that sounds like what would have happened to his followers if they had attacked my pack. Your small pack did a tremendous job. I would like to know what you intend to do with the remains of his pack.”

“I have taken those who followed his mate under my protection. They will be supervised by Kurt and Ashton. Those who embody Greyback’s malice are being hunted as we speak. Ashton has followed them to the continent and is taking them down one by one. He has been handing them over to either the nearest pack or the nearest Ministry depending on what the pack wishes.”

“Again, I find myself impressed by you. Remus, you are leading this pack in a way that the other leaders will find refreshing. We have long loathed dealing with British Werewolves because of Greyback’s lack of respect or protocol. You have had the job for little more than a month and you are already doing exactly as you should be.”

“Unlike Greyback, I am not stupid. I take advice when it is offered and lead in a way that I would wish my allies to lead.”

“I meant no disrespect, Remus. I merely wished to paint a picture. If you don’t have requests for meetings from the European packs already you will before you return to teaching this fall.” He smiled. “I would also like to congratulate you on keeping your position teaching. I know the Headmaster is aware but the parents and Ministry are not. Your situation gives hope to those who wish to take jobs in industries they were barred from before. They know it will not happen anytime soon, but with your example and the changes in the Wizengamot, there is hope.”

“I will be sure to thank Sirius and Narcissa for you.”

“Ah, so you know the ones who are heading the charge?”

“I have known Sirius Black since I was eleven. He is my best friend, and is essentially my Beta, despite only being an Animagus.”

“I would like to meet him at some point.”

“I am sure I can arrange that in the future.”

All heads turned to the Floo when green flames flashed. A second later Fay tumbled out.

She pulled herself from the ground, which was odd since she was very practiced at using the Floo and Remus had never seen her fall out of one. Her hair was neon green with purple streaks while her skin was pumpkin orange with magenta spots. On top of that, she seemed to be wearing a sheep costume of some kind. That was rather clever, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“I can’t take it anymore! The prank wars have got to stop!” She looked around the room, and moaned. “Sorry, I’ll just go down into my room and die of embarrassment now.”

Remus stood and pulled her into a hug. “Who did what?”

“Draco did my hair. Fred did the skin coloring, while George did the spots. Harry did the sheep get up.”

“And Sirius?”

“Got knocked out of the game early by the combined effort of the students versus Sirius. Last I saw, he was still stuck to the ceiling in the formal dining room, his wand in Harry’s pocket.”

Remus flicked his wand from its holster and did a quick reversal spell that put her skin and hair to rights. A second swish and her clothes returned to normal as well. 

“Thank you.” Fay hugged him tight, burying her face in his shoulder. “I wasn’t even supposed to be part of that prank war. I was doing homework.”

“Did you fire first?”

Fay bit her lip. “Well, Fred was just standing in my doorway leaving his back completely exposed. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to teach him a lesson in watching his back, I had to give him a rabbit’s tail and ears.”

“While that may be true, it did enter you into the fray whether you like it or not.”

“I guess so. He also gave me a five-minute head start. He said it was for a well-played prank.”

“Are you calm now?”

“Yes.”

“Good, then I would like to introduce you to Aengus O’Connell, the head of the Irish pack. Aengus, this is our cub, Fay.”

“Hello, Mr. O’Connell. I am sorry for barging in like that. I live with a group of pranksters and things tend to get out of hand.”

“Quite alright dear. Are you adjusting well to the change?”

She nodded. “Remus has made it really easy. I will have been a werewolf for a year next month.”

Aengus smiled, yes Remus would make a great Alpha and ally. This child was thriving. Only a great man, and Alpha, would adopt a child and help them thrive. 


	21. Leprechauns, Veela and Death Eaters, Oh My...

**Grimmauld Place**

The house was woken by the very feminine screams of a blond Slytherin boy. 

Remus groaned and burrowed his face into Aria’s hair. 

“Your friend is crazy.” She got a grunt in response. “Why does he insist upon pranking the kids in the morning? Why does he always make Draco screech like that? It makes my ears hurt.”

“Sirius may be trying to grow up but he is still a broken child suffering from Azkaban. Playing pranks on the kids helps him forget, at least for a short time.” 

Aria rolled so she was facing him. “I guess that isn’t so bad; but does he have to wake them up so early? What time is it anyway? Did he at least wait until seven this time?”

Remus pushed up, grabbed his wand from the nightstand and cast a tempus spell. “5:45 in the morning. He’s just excited. We head for the World Cup grounds today and he can’t wait to get started.”

“We aren’t leaving until two. Couldn’t he have let us sleep a few more hours?”

“It’s Sirius. I think we should just be glad he didn’t wake us at four like he did at Christmas.”

Aria knew he was right but didn’t verbally acknowledge this. She was still irritated by the early wake up; for someone with insomnia, it was extremely irritating when woken up from a true sleep. “Do you think that he is going to come in here any time soon?”

“Yes.”

“Did you ward the door?”

“Yes.”

“Will it keep him out?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“He controls the wards. The Head of House Black cannot be barred from any room owned by the House of Black.”

“So, we need to get up?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Who do you think he will hit next?”

“Fay. Narcissa would have gotten up when Draco screamed if she wasn’t up already; she is smart enough to anticipate his movements so he won’t go there. Harry has been sleeping lightly and he has trouble getting back to sleep once woken. If Sirius wants to surprise him in the morning, he has to get to Harry first.”

“Poor girl.” Aria sat up, pushing her long, now frizzy hair, out of her face. “I need a shower.”

“I’ll go down and help Narcissa with the kids. Draco and Fay are likely to want revenge. Harry will just find it funny and egg all of them on.”

“I’ll join you in a bit. Who all is coming to the grounds today anyway?”

Hermione, Fred, George and Bill are coming with us. Neville’s gran is bringing him to the grounds the day after tomorrow.”

“What about Percy and the quidditch team?”

“They got tickets. Apparently, Oliver Wood got a deal through his new team Puddlemere, and he got seats for the rest of the Gryffindor team and Percy at a discounted rate.”

There was a knock on the door. “Sirius and Draco are trading spells and prank items. Fay is laying traps. If you want to stay clear of the mayhem, get to the kitchen.”

“Thank you, Harry.” Remus smiled. “Go take your shower. I’ll see you downstairs.” He kissed her softly before shrugging on his robe and heading downstairs.

His journey to the family dining room was treacherous. He had to avoid three traps, four thrown dung bombs and two running teenagers pursuing a large black dog.

“Good morning, Remus.”

“Good morning, Narcissa. How did you sleep?”

“Well enough. I have to admit; I am going to enjoy the next few days. I am going to have the house to myself and I won’t be woken up by Sirius and the children.”

Remus chuckled. They had invited Narcissa to come early with them to the pre finals events; the week leading up to the World Cup finals was full of events and fun. There were booths set up all around the stadium with games and shops. There were events for kids; broom races and shooting drills, the winners received various one-of-a-kind prizes. Narcissa didn’t care about quidditch in the first place and wanted nothing to do with the pregame festivities. She didn’t really want to go to the actual game but was going because it was expected and there were political moves that could be made at the after-game celebrations. Plus, she had to be there to prevent Sirius from raising hell about those passes to meet the teams. The Ministry had claimed that they weren’t doing them and had never had them. Both she and Sirius knew it was a lie; Sirius because he had paid the extreme price placed on them in the past and she knew because Lucius had gotten them a time or two for free.

“I am a bit envious of you. I could have used a few extra hours of sleep. Where is Harry? I thought he came down before I did.”

“He is in the kitchen with Dobby and Kreacher. The Elves don’t really get along unless Harry is around and talks to them. I don’t know what it is about him but the Elves love to help him.”

“I think it is because he doesn’t treat them like Elves. To him, they are family.”

Harry stepped into the room with a cup of tea in his hands. “Good morning. I was just talking with Dobby and Kreacher. Kreacher has decided he would like to stay with you, Aunt Narcissa, and take care of the house while we are away. Dobby loved the idea and is coming with us to the World Cup grounds.”

“Did you talk them around to that?”

Harry smiled with a shrug. “Well, yes. Dobby wanted to take care of the house and the tents at the same time. Kreacher just wanted to take care of the house and you. I convinced Dobby that he could take care of us better if he was at the tournament grounds the whole time. He jumped on the idea when I said I was worried we might need him when he was busy with something here.”

“Well done. Which one is taking care of breakfast?”

“Kreacher. Dobby is busy making sure the tents and our luggage is in order. He insists on cleaning everything before we go.”

The trio heard a commotion at the Floo. They found four Weasleys in various positions in the room. Fred was face down on the couch, already snoring. George was in an armchair, his eyes barely open. Bill was talking to another young man with Weasley red hair. They had to assume this was Charlie. 

“Sorry to barge in on you like this,” Bill said when he noticed they had an audience. “We are having mom troubles and this is the only place we can get some sleep that she can’t go. This is my brother Charlie. Charlie, this is Narcissa Black, Remus Lupin and our honorary brother, Harry Potter.”

“Don’t worry about it, Misters Weasley. You are always welcome here.” Narcissa smiled at the young men. She would forever welcome the elder Weasley children because of what they did for Harry. “Shall we leave the twins here and get some tea?”

Bill and Charlie looked at the twins, both now snoring. “That would be great. Thank you.”

“What is everyone doing up so early, anyway?” Charlie scratched his head. He and his brothers were up due to the shouting match his mother and he had gotten into; Charlie was still on Romania time so had been up early and his mother always got up at 5.

“Sirius pranked Draco.” Remus said in answer.

“I take it you were all woken to boyish shrieks,” Bill smiled.

“Yup.” Harry grinned. “Sirius is excited. I’m just glad I wasn’t woken by dog breath and dog tongue.”

They all sat around the family dining table, which was smaller and in a less massive room than the formal dining table. “Kreacher is bringing tea. Does any guests of Miss Cissa want Coffee? Kreacher can bring some when he serves breakfast.”

“Tea is fine, Kreacher.” Narcissa smiled at the surly elf. Remus was really the only one who drank coffee but he had already gotten himself a cup of tea and didn’t switch once he started. “Now, what seems to be the trouble with your mother now?” She was concerned about the boys. Bill had enough to deal with, he didn’t need to stand between his mother and his siblings too.

“She hates my job.” Charlie answered simply.

“I thought you had a chat with her about that?” Remus inquired of Bill.

“I did.” Bill sighed and shook his head. “she said she would work on her oppressive behavior but old habits die hard I suppose.”

“She hit the roof when she saw my newest burn scar. She didn’t see it last night, probably due to her euphoria that I was home. She walked in while I was applying some burn paste to it and hit the roof. I got it about a week ago and dragon fire, even when you’re barely hit, takes a lot longer to heal. She instantly demanded I quit my job and move home. There were threats and her volume got louder with every sentence.”

“Charlie said she woke everyone up. Ginny was crying, Ron was pale. Percy was stunned for a few minutes but then steered Ron and Ginny outside to the pitch. Dad was fuming.”

“I ran for the Floo the minute mom’s attention was on dad. I came home for a visit. I did not come home to get yelled at about my career choice.”

“I suggested we head here because mom knows my Floo address but doesn’t know yours.”

“Well, you are welcome to join us at the World Cup if you would like, Charlie. We have room.”

“That would be great. I have always wanted to attend a World Cup final.”

“Good morning.” Aria stepped into the room, showered, with hair now in curls rather than a red frizzy afro. “Did you know that Fred and George are asleep in front of the Floo?”

Remus poured her a cup of tea and kissed her cheek as she sat down next to him.

“Early morning Molly troubles,” Remus summarized. 

“Ah,” there was really nothing else to say to that. “I think the prank war is over. Draco retreated back to his room and Fay locked herself in the bathroom. I think they will be down soon.”

No sooner had she said this than Draco walked into the room. Dressed and ready for the day, not a hair out of place. “So, who do you think is going to win the World Cup?”

**World Cup Tournament Grounds**

The group Port Keyed into a madhouse. There were people everywhere. Sirius had managed to get a spot near the stadium, just outside the event stands. There were also a lot of stands selling food, drinks and memorabilia. The kids, Sirius and the elder Weasleys hit the ground running. Well, Fred, George and Sirius were running; Bill and Charlie hung back with Harry, Draco, Fay and Hermione, who took their time looking at all of the stands.

Sirius and the twins wanted to get to the swag first. They had to make sure they got exactly what they wanted. The twins were also looking into product ideas. Who wouldn’t want a prank item that made them think of the world cup? Or, better yet, who wouldn’t want to send someone an item that looked like Word Cup memorabilia but was actually a prank item?

The others were content to explore and absorb. Hermione was most interested in the international booths, the boys mostly agreed with her because those were mostly food-based booths. The group decided to try a variety of foods, so stocked up with all that they could carry, which was why they were eating banitsa, a Bulgarian pastry, when they met up with Sirius and the twins. 

Sirius was wearing a tall Ireland green hat with shamrocks bursting out the top. Fred and George were comparing a different Ireland green hat, this one looked a bit like a Robin Hood hat, and a red and black Bulgarian hat that Hermione knew was inspired by the Cat in the Hat. The Bulgarian hat was definitely more dignified, barely, so no one was surprised when both decided to go with the Ireland hat. 

Harry had decided he was cheering for Bulgaria, so purchased a scarf and a different hat for himself. His decision was based entirely on their seeker. Viktor Krum was supposed to be the best seeker in the world, Harry knew Bulgaria had gotten to the final almost entirely due to Krum’s abilities. As a fellow seeker, he respected Krum and his position on the team. Plus, he preferred the Bulgarian color combination; Harry may love green but he really didn’t like the orange accents. 

Draco, oddly enough, was also cheering for Bulgaria for the same reason Harry was. It was amazing that they got along at all. If anyone had suggested a year ago that they would be cheering for the same World Cup finalist, the visitor, for the same reason, both would have called the person crazy. 

“I don’t see why you think it is so odd about their decision.” Hermione shook her head. “They’re both seekers. Charlie is also cheering for Bulgaria; I assume it has something to do with the fact that the team’s seeker is so impressive.”

“And you would be right, Hermione.” Charlie smiled. He liked these kids.

“Wait.” Fred froze.

“Are you actually cheering for the Bulgarians?” George seemed horrified by the possibility. 

“We live within the British Isles.”

“Which include Ireland.”

“You can’t cheer for foreigners.”

“It’s just wrong.”

“Fred, didn’t you and George tell me that you thought Krum would get the snitch?” Charlie smiled.

“Well, that is obvious.”

“But,” George continued, “Ireland is still going to win.”

“A team is not made by the seeker.”

“If the rest of the team is outmatched, then the seeker is kind of inconsequential.”

Hermione sighed. “Why did I agree to come?”

“Because you get to spend a week with Harry.” Fay smiled. 

“Oh,” Hermione smiled. “You’re right. That’s why.” She smiled seeing the bright smile on Harry’s face as he argued quidditch with the Weasleys, Draco defending his position.

“Should we make a plan for what we want to do? Aren’t some things only happening once?”

Hermione pulled out the schedule she grabbed off an information booth. “Let’s see. The only thing I think they might want to hit today is a press conference with the teams. Ireland will have thirty minutes and then Bulgaria will have thirty minutes.”

“When does that start?”

“Four.”

“And it’s open to the public?”

“The press only ones are later in the week, those appear to be with the coaching staff and owners.”

“Alright. What time do you think we should head there?”

“Give them another few minutes.” Bill leaned over to look at the schedule. “If they had this going later in the week, I would have suggested heading there an hour early so we could see, but most people don’t arrive this early because they can’t get that much time off of work. They save the extra days off for if the game goes longer than 24 hours.”

“Are we sure they want to go to that?”

“Go to what?” Draco asked.

“Press conference. The teams will each have thirty minutes, I assume, to answer questions.”

“We want to go.” Draco said firmly before turning toward the other quidditch mad members of their group. “Hey. Press conference with the teams starts in an hour.”

“The teams are meeting the press and the public?”

“Yes.”

“LET’S GO!” Sirius shouted.

**Tents**

Hermione sat on her bed in the large Wizard’s tent they had pitched at the World Cup tournament grounds. It had been an interesting day. 

She was actually rather excited for the whole thing. There were a lot of cultural booths present making the experience educational as well as sports oriented. She had learned quite a bit about the Bulgarian culture while wandering the booths. 

Of course, Bulgarians weren’t the only ones there. Up until the last two weeks, it could have been two of four teams and before that, two of sixteen. Tickets for the World Cup Final had gone on sale in March worldwide. There were French booths, the French team had been beaten in the first round of the tournament. As had the Chinese, German, Brazilian and Russian teams, but they still had booths. There were Italians and South Africans. Americans, Japanese and Swedish fans there too. 

It was a cultural smorgasbord.

She smiled and settled in. It was late and she still wanted to meditate. They had made very little progress on their animagus training. They had each had a one on one session with Sirius to start out; he had explained the importance of meditation and knowing about your animal. He had been rather impressed with their research but had insisted on taking them to the zoo to observe their animals in action. They couldn’t see all the animals exactly; the London zoo did not have coyotes or foxes but you could get an idea from watching the wolves. Harry, of course couldn’t find a Griffin at the zoo but he could watch the lions and the eagles. 

Hermione had gone a step farther and rented documentary videos on the animals she could. The videos and zoo trips helped them understand the animal’s movement better. 

She closed her eyes and attempted to find her center. Meditation, she was finding, was extremely difficult. Remus had joined them for the meditation explanation because meditation was different for every person. Some people sort of drifted and thought of nothing. Some thought of something specific. Hermione couldn’t seem to settle her mind; she was always thinking of something; in fact, she was always thinking of many things. Her mind raced no matter what she did. Remus suggested letting her thoughts wander until she found something she continued to come back to. 

Easier said than done. She had a couple of common topics. School, Harry, future career options, her latest book, magical theory. She just couldn’t find something that really pulled her attention. 

Okay, maybe she could but she just didn’t want to admit it to herself. Her mind tended to drift toward Harry and the way he made her feel. Tonight, she was going to try to focus on her feelings. Maybe that was the key.

“GIVE THAT BACK FRED!!!”

She jumped when a body hit the door. At least she assumed it was a body. Running feet followed directly after the crash. Okay, maybe attempting to meditate while at the Quidditch World Cup was not the smartest plan. 

Sighing, Hermione pulled her book out of her bag and settled in to read. She could read through chaos; she had done it numerous times in the common room at school. Perhaps she could manage some meditation early the next morning before the boys woke up.

“Boys are so annoying.” 

She looked up from her book when Fay walked into the room. They were sharing while at the cup. There were five rooms in the tent. She and Fay were sharing one room. Harry, Neville and Draco were in one room; Neville had shown up just after dinner. Fred, George and Charlie shared a room. Sirius was sharing with Bill; Bill had volunteered Charlie to share with the twins so he and Sirius could sleep peacefully. Remus and Aria had gotten the last room. Most assumed that Charlie would end up sleeping on the couch in the common area before the week was up. Harry suggested sticking Sirius with the twins due to the fact that they had, essentially, the same brain and maturity level. 

“What are they up to now?”

“Fred snatched Charlie’s wand and replaced it with a trick wand. Charlie went to light the fire so he could roast marshmallows but instead of lighting a fire, his wand turned into a rubber chicken.”

Hermine snorted slightly. “A rubber chicken?”

“Yeah. Why do you think that is funny?”

“Muggle magic trick for kids. I forget how it works but somehow a rubber chicken shows up. Maybe I should suggest they have a second option where the wand turns into a bouquet of fake flowers.”

“I don’t get it.”

Hermione shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. What else did they do?”

“How did you know they did something else?”

“It’s Fred and George.”

“Good point. While Fred was switching the wands, it seems that George turned Bill and Sirius’s room into a rainforest, complete with rainforest sounds.”

“And?”

“And turned Harry, Neville and Draco’s room into a swamp.”

“And?”

“Tried to turn Remus and Aria’s room into a desert dune.”

“Tried?”

“Remus had the room warded. When George opened the door, the door pulled him in and somehow stuck him to the wall and silenced him. It’s really funny watching him scream without being able to hear it.”

“Was our room last on the list?”

“No, apparently they weren’t going to hit our room because, and I quote, ‘Hermione is scary.’”

“Did they get those from the books Harry gave them?”

Fay shook her head. “No Remus says the pranks were totally original and he was rather impressed. He asked if they had any other ideas. Apparently, they haven’t quite worked out the kinks for the lake, or blizzard yet. They were thinking of adding a bog to their repertoire but weren’t sure if that was too close to a swamp or not.”

“That is rather impressive. A bog is essentially a swamp so I don’t think they should waste their time. I wonder if they could do a personal rain cloud?”

“What?”

“Oh, nothing. A personal rain cloud is just something that I saw on some cartoon shows growing up. A rain cloud would settle over one person and drench them while everyone else stayed totally dry. Maybe I’ll suggest it.”

“Right, I remember that from visiting my grandparents. I can see the twins dining that,  
Fay smiled. 

“Have you seen Rah?” Harry stood in the door.

“Have you checked Bill and Sirius’s room? If it is still a rainforest, he might enjoy it. Boomslang snakes are tree dwelling snakes after all.”

Harry smiled, “Thanks, Hermione, I’ll check there. I actually hadn’t thought of that. Bill and Sirius are clearing out our room first so we can get to bed.” He turned to go, “Oh, and I really think a personal raincloud would be right up their alley. If you don’t suggest it I will.”

“He didn’t kiss you good night.”

“That’s alright, Fay. He did kiss me on the cheek before I came in here in the first place. We still aren’t very comfortable with public displays of affection.”

“I could leave if that would help.”

“Fay, it’s fine. Maybe he plans to come back after he locates Rah.”

“Whatever. I’m going to go change.” Fay grabbed her pajamas and headed for the bathroom. 

Hermione was right about one thing. Harry did come back after locating his snake. 

“Thanks for the suggestion. Rah said he loved the trees but thought the air was too wet. He wants me to ask if the twins can come up with a way to create an African jungle instead.”

Hermione smiled and stood. “I’m glad he enjoyed himself, even if the air was too humid.” She stroked the snake’s head, which was resting on Harry’s shoulder. “Good night, Harry.” 

They hugged tightly, Hermione tucking her head into Harry’s neck on the opposite side of Rah. When they pulled back, Harry tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned down, kissing her on the lips. 

“Good night, Hermione.”

**Stadium Grounds**

It was early. Ridiculously early. 

No one in the group was complaining though. 

Harry, Draco and the twins were bouncing off the tent walls. They honestly couldn’t wait. That morning there was a huge event. Of everything they had done and seen over the last few days waiting for the final game to start, this was what they were most excited about.

Hermione had found the flyer first, mostly because she was actually looking at everything. It was a promotional event put on by the makers of the international standard broom, the Firebolt. The first hundred applicants could compete. Contestants had to be between the ages of twelve and sixteen. They had to have an adult present that could vouch for the fact that they were at least competent on a broom. 

There weren’t many details about the contest tasks but the flyer did give the prizes. 

The top ten contestants would get to keep Firebolt’s new broom, designed for school aged fliers. The broom was supposed to be on par with Nimbus brooms. The youth broom had slightly less speed and acceleration than the first Firebolt broom and a great deal more control and additional safety charms according to testing reports.

Second place would get an additional prize. They would get a signed jersey from both teams. One Ireland jersey and one Bulgaria jersey, signed by the entire team.

First place was what they wanted though. Not only did the individual get to keep the broom but they also got to meet both teams. The winner, and their family/group, got to tour the arena and got to spend time with both teams. Draco was hoping that meant they got a chance to fly with the teams. 

So they were up. The quidditch boys were dressed to fly while Neville, the girls and the adults were prepared to cheer them on. Fay, Aria and Remus had elected to say behind and get some sleep. The night before had been the full moon so they were exhausted from being up all night.

The grounds were generally rather quiet early in the morning due to the fact that the festivities went long into the night. This morning, however, there was a great deal of activity.

When they got to the stadium, there was already a line forming. There were about thirty students in line already and a few of them were familiar to the group. Draco waved at Theo and two other Slytherins Hermione did not know the names of. She could also see Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff and Rodger Davis of Ravenclaw; she only knew their names because Wood had talked about them a lot. 

What interested her most was seeing kids their age from other countries. Hermione wished she spoke more than just French. 

“Good morning.” A man with a shirt with the official Firebolt logo on the front smiled despite the early hour. “In order to be fair, we are restricting the competition to one individual per campsite. If at the end of the registration period there are unfilled spots, we will have a lottery to fill the remaining spots. Please pick your competitor before you reach the desk. There will be slips of paper for the other applicants at the desk. Just drop the slip in the bowl to enter as an alternate.”

Hermione watched Draco and the twins' faces fall. Harry just nodded to the man in understanding.

“So, who wants to fly?” Harry asked. Hermine could tell that he honestly didn’t care who got to compete. He had also missed the fact that the twins and Draco assumed he would be their competitor. 

“We all want to.”

“The question is who is going to give us the best chance of meeting the teams.”

Draco nodded along with the twins. “So, that means you, Harry.”

Harry blinked. “I don’t have to be the one. If you really want to compete, then you can.”

“We know that, Harry.” Fred smiled.

“But, being seekers, you and Draco are much faster fliers. The contest will most likely involve speed or agility drills, it is Firebolt after all; the two of you will be better at those then we will.”

“I am going to request you be our representative.” Draco shrugged. “I do want a chance but you have been outflying me for two years. If my options are meeting the teams or doing the flying myself, then I pick meeting the teams.”

“If I fly, that doesn’t guarantee that we will meet the teams.”

“No, it doesn’t, but I know you can outfly Diggory and Davis. Diggory and I are about even in terms of speed and maneuverability. You beat him hands down, every time.”

“We are agreed, Harry-kins. You are our flier, so get your head in the game.”

Harry nodded and rolled his shoulders, bouncing on his toes; he really did love flying. 

Hermione almost started laughing. Boys were so strange.

Fifteen minutes later they were almost finished with registration. There was only a twenty-minute window, which was why it was so important to get to the stadium on time. Harry was standing in one of ten groups positioned around the stadium. At Hermione’s count, they were at 92 contestants. That meant they would be drawing another eight names. When each group registered their flier, other teens wishing to compete wrote down their names just in case.

“All right, ladies and gentlemen. It seems like we have another 7 slots open for competitors.” Hermione watched the 93rd flier head to group 3. “If I call your name head to the group I tell you to.” 

Hermione did not recognize any names they called until the last. The seventh person they called was not from their group but it was a Hogwarts student. Alicia Spinnet, of the Gryffindor quidditch team, was the lucky hundredth person chosen to compete.

“Sorry, Draco.”

“Not your fault, Hermione. Harry would have let me fly. I know he is the faster flier so I insisted he compete. I can’t have everything in life and this gives me the best chance of meeting Krum. Not to mention, he is the only one of us familiar with flying a Firebolt broom.”

“You have really matured.”

Draco glanced at her. She was right, he had. A year ago he would have demanded the slot for himself, no matter who was the better flier. “My father wasn’t a great influence. I should have been listening to my mother all along.”

“I can’t speak for everyone, but I really like the new you. You are much better than the old Draco.”

“I like this me better too. I have better friends and I can honestly say that I love not having to hang around with Pansy, Vince and Greg all the time. The conversation is much better without them. All Pansy wanted to talk about was when we got married, which still creeps me out. Vince and Greg talked about food, a lot.”

“Do you mean that your favorite topic isn’t food? You don’t like to discuss what might be for dinner and what might be served for dessert?”

“I also don’t like to guess what will be served for breakfast, when they serve the same options nearly every day.”

“I am so sorry. That really is dull conversation.”

“Quit with the heart to heart you two.” Fred interrupted.

“They are starting.” George pointed to the groups.

The ten groups were no longer positioned around the stadium but were now all lined up in front of one set of goals, each group standing next to a colored pillar. 

“WELCOME FLIERS! Thank you for coming. Firebolt is pleased to be the provider of the broom used in the World Cup final. We have recently produced a youth broom. This broom is designed for students while still holding to the Firebolt speed. Our tests have revealed that the Fireblast is comparable to the Nimbus series in speed and controllability. The only broom that can beat the Fireblast is our own Firebolt original.

“Today, we are holding this contest to give you all a taste of the Fireblast. There will be three rounds of competition. The first round will consist of speed trials. Ten fliers will fly at once. You will fly from one end of the pitch to the other four times. The fastest ten will move on to the second round.

“Now will the first ten mount your groups’ Fireblast broom.” One person from each group mounted. “There is a Firebolt official taking time for each group. All times will automatically go to the master list, which will be projected on the board at center field. The board will only show the top ten times. Keep watch, your name may be on there to start, but it may fall off the board once another group flies.”

At the blow of a whistle, the first group was off. The top time of that group belonged to a Bulgarian teen by the name of Aleksander Todor. 

After the second group flew, the Bulgarian was still the top time but his time barely beat out the top time of the second group. 

After five rounds; the top time belonged to a French girl, Aimee Beaucourt. The Bulgarian was in third, behind a young man from South Africa, ahead of a boy from Japan. Cedric Diggory was in fifth, Katie Bell was in sixth.

Harry was in group eight. He managed to beat out the top time, which before his trial was still the French girl. 

At the end of ten rounds, Harry had the top time. Katie ended in ninth, Cedric in sixth. Alicia did not make the cut for round two, neither did Roger Davis. Theo Nott had ended up in twelfth. 

“Thank you for coming out to compete with everyone. For showing up and flying today, you will get team photos from the Bulgarian and Irish teams as well as a Firebolt T-shirt.”

Ninety contestants made their way into the stands to watch the final, collecting their consolation prizes as they went. Theo Nott sat down next to Draco; Daphne Greengrass was right behind him. 

“You did great, Theo. Have you thought about trying out for Chaser?”

“Yeah, I have. With Flint gone, I thought I might actually have a chance.”

“Hello, Daphne.” Hermione smiled. “I thought you did well. I didn’t know you could fly like that.”

Daphne shrugged. “I didn’t do as well as I had hoped I would. I suppose twenty third isn’t terrible, there were some talented fliers here today.”

“You should consider trying out for the team to, Daphne.”

She looked at Draco, trying to determine if he was joking or not. “Perhaps I will. It will depend on who makes captain though. Certain members of the team don’t think girls should be allowed to play.”

“If I have any say, they are going to get over it. The Gryffindor team chaser line is the best in the school and it is all female. We should pick the best fliers, no matter if they are male or female.”

“Well said little snake.” The group turned to see the Gryffindor team and Percy joining them. Oliver Wood in the lead. “We would have joined you earlier but didn’t see you.”

“Sorry you didn’t make the second round, Alicia.” George gave her a side hug as she sat down next to him.

“It’s all right. I was just happy to get the chance. We picked Katie because she is the faster flier. If we didn’t have Harry on the team, she would be the seeker.”

Angelina sat next to Fred, “She did great. I doubt she will win but she might have a chance to go to round three if she focuses.”

“Congratulations to the top ten. Now for round 2. In this round, two fliers will compete at once. The aim is still the fastest time. Each flier will need to race through the ten hoops in their color. You have to fly through each hoop before you cross the finish line. If you miss a hoop, you will be given a two second penalty. The top five fliers will make it to round three.”

The hoops were set up in two identical courses. The fliers would have to go as high at the top of the goal posts and fly as low as ten feet off the ground. One track was in red, one in blue, so it was obvious which hoops were meant for each flier.

Harry and Katie were the first fliers up.

“Alright, mount your brooms.” Harry would be flying the blue track, Katie the red.

“That is probably her best chance of making the top five. She will push herself to keep up with Harry. If she can stay within a few seconds of him, she may just upset one of the out of town fliers.” Oliver had already told them who he thought would make the top five. He had Harry, the French girl, the Bulgarian, the South African and either Cedric or the Japanese boy. He did not think the American girl, the Spanish boy, the Italian boy or Katie had the practice to beat out the other six.

In the end, Oliver Wood was almost one hundred percent correct. Harry, the French girl, the Bulgarian, the Japanese boy and Cedric were the top five. Oliver said the South African was great at sprints but didn’t have the maneuverability of a regular quidditch player. Katie had ended up in sixth, ahead of the South African.

“CONGRATULATIONS TOP FIVE! Thank you for coming out. Those in the top ten that did not make the final five, you will also receive photos and T-shirts. As an added bonus, you get to keep the Fireblast you flew today! All individuals who were in the top ten get to keep the Fireblast broom.”

“Bugger!” Theo swore. “I was so close to a brand new Fireblast. That broom handles great and is so much better than my Nimbus 2000.” Theo’s father had given him a Nimbus 2000 for his thirteenth birthday. He had gotten that model because it was almost as good as the 2001 but half the price. He had been blocking out the fact that that was a prize for the top ten.

“Do you think Harry will let me fly the Fireblast?” Fred wondered. “He already has a regular Firebolt.”

“I want a shot on it too.” Draco nodded along with George.

The officials from Firebolt were flying around placing hoops around the stadium. They also hung flags in three spots; a flag hung from the center hoop of one goal, the left hoop of the other. The third flag hung from the bottom of the board.

“While my assistants are completing the course, I will tell you all what our final five need to do. There are twenty-four hoops around the stadium, each is numbered. The contestants will start at the left hoops, they will fly through the first eight hoops, which will take them to the board. They will have to retrieve the flag then fly through hoops nine through sixteen. At this point they will be at the right hoops and will need to collect the second flag. Yes, you guessed it, from there they will need to fly through the final eight hoops which will lead to the final flag at the left hoops. Finally, they will need to fly straight down, touch the post, it will light up if they actually touch it, and then fly as fast as they can across the field to touch the second post. Their trial completes once the second post lights up.” An official from Firebolt flew the course slowly, showing the fliers the path they had to take.

“It’s a challenging course.” Oliver mused. “It will test speed and maneuverability. What makes it a great test is that some of it requires accuracy. You can fly through a hoop at any angle but you don’t have a lot of wiggle room when picking up a flag and hitting a post. If you don’t go at the right angle you could miss and then have to backtrack.”

“So how do you think Harry will do?”

“The kid is a great flier with great hand-eye coordination. He has a great chance. The course is built for seekers.”

“Cedric?”

“He is good but I think he will struggle with the tight turns with his size. Harry, the French girl and the Japanese boy have smaller builds so will have an easier time accelerating between hoops. Cedric and the Bulgarian have longer arms so will find the reaching aspects a bit easier.”

“What is your prediction?”

“Harry or the French girl.”

“You know she does have a name.” Hermione interjected. “Her name has been up there since the first round of trials. Her name is Aimee Beaucourt, it hasn’t changed. For that matter, the Bulgarian’s name is Aleksander Todor. The Japanese contestant is named Kei Yoshimoto.”

Oliver opened his mouth, then closed it. “I apologize, Hermione. You are correct, they do have names and I should use them now that we are down to the final five.”

“Thank you.”

Harry was the last to compete because he had the fastest time going into the final. Cedric had gone first and would place either fourth or fifth depending on Harry’s time. Kei was in third using his small stature to his advantage in the turns, Aleksander was in second and Aimee in first. Oliver was right about Aimee beating out the others. She was a great flier. 

Harry took a breath, laid low on his broom and waited.

The whistle blew and he pushed his broom to the limit.

**Stadium – Day Before the Game**

“Can you believe it? We get to meet Viktor Krum.”

“Stop salivating, Draco.”

“Are my palms sweaty?”

“You need to calm down.”

Harry shook his head. Hermione and Draco had been going at it for the last ten minutes. He looked at Neville; the other boy appeared to be fighting laughter. 

“I am calm.” Draco was practically vibrating with excitement. “I am calm. I am going to meet Viktor Krum.” He was definitely not calm. His voice kept sliding into a squeal of excitement.

“You wouldn’t be meeting him if it wasn’t for Harry.” Fred interjected. 

“You wouldn’t either, Weasley.”

This, of course, was true. Harry had won the Firebolt contest. The prize for winning that contest was meeting the two teams that would be playing in the final the following day.

“We are actually most interested in talking with Connolly and Quigley, the Irish Beaters.”

“Krum is really good though,” George added.

“You all need to calm down. Mister Krum is just a person. He may be a quidditch player, and apparently a good one, but that doesn’t mean he likes people fawning over him wherever he goes. I would think he would appreciate fans treating him like a person, not an object.”

“He is VIKTOR KRUM, Hermione.”

“Yes. That is the name his parents gave him.”

“You don’t seem to get it. He is THE Viktor Krum. The greatest seeker in the world.”

“He isn’t the only person you are going to be meeting.”

“Potter, talk to your girlfriend. She doesn’t get it. We get to meet Viktor Krum.”

Harry shook his head. “Sorry, Draco, I have to agree with my girlfriend.”

“You’re just saying that because she is your girlfriend. You know you are just as excited as I am.”

“I won’t deny I am excited to meet both teams, Krum in particular because he is the best seeker on the professional circuit and I am a seeker so I want to meet the best there is. That doesn’t mean that I am going to act like some crazed fanboy.”

“I am not a crazed fanboy!”

“You’re acting like one.” Hermione scowled at Draco.

Harry squeezed her hand. She bit her lip and let Harry talk. “Draco, I can’t speak for Krum or any professional quidditch player but I can comment on the hassles of fame. It is awful having people constantly staring at you, watching your every move. Do you know how much I hate it when younger students follow me around asking for my autograph? Sure, they chose their path and I am famous for something I don’t remember clearly but fame is still hard. Even if I chose this path, I think I would still appreciate it if people acted normal around me.”

“He’s Viktor Krum.”

“You should listen to your friend blondie.” The group turned to see a tall man with short sandy blond hair standing behind them wearing Ireland practice robes. “Most pro quidditch players do appreciate when fans treat us like regular people instead of objects, at least after a season or two. The only person I know who likes the blind adoration is our keeper, and he is an arrogant tosser. I don’t really know Krum all that well, but he doesn’t seem all that comfortable around the adoring fans.”

Hermione beamed at the man. “See,” then turned and whispered to Harry, “Who is that?”

The man snorted, hearing her rather loud whisper. “Dragged here by your boyfriend?” Hermione blushed. “I’m Aiden Lynch, the Ireland Seeker. I am going to give you a tour and then take you to meet the rest of my team. After that you will meet with the Firebolt team and they will take you to meet the Bulgarian team.”

“Sorry. I don’t really follow quidditch. I don’t watch it at school either unless Harry is playing.”

“You don’t really watch those either.” Neville nudged her shoulder. “You spend most of the game covering your eyes while peaking from between your fingers.”

“Can we really blame her for that?” Fred wanted to know.

“Harry does like to almost die during matches after all.” George added.

“It is not my fault that my Defense Professor was trying to kill me and a rouge House Elf was trying to ‘save me’ by hurting me so bad I would ask to go home.”

“What’s your excuse for last year?” Draco smirked.

“I still got to the snitch before you did, despite the fact that my broom got hit by lightning.”

“Sorry for their lack of manners, Mister Lynch.” Bill stepped forward. “Harry and Draco have a long-standing rivalry when it comes to quidditch. I’m Bill. The redheads are all my younger brothers; Charlie, Fred and George.” His brothers waved as he introduced them. “Blondie, as you put it, is Draco. Then we have Neville, Hermione and Harry. Harry is the one who got the fastest time in the contest.”

“Well, I need to shake your hand, Harry. The rep from Firebolt said you are one of the most natural fliers he has ever seen. He told me I needed to practice more or you would beat me before you got out of school.”

\---

By the end of their day, they had talked to every professional player except Krum. The representative from Firebolt said they would meet Krum briefly.

The twins had had fairly long discussions with the beaters from both teams. They had some interesting plays to try out the next year. The Irish beaters had more complicated plays while the Bulgarian beaters focused on accuracy and attacking the most effective player on the opposite team, usually a member of the chaser line as they really didn’t need to help out Krum.

Draco and Harry had asked Lynch for advice. His advice was to study their opponent. If you studied your opponent, you could learn their tells; if you learned their tells, you could potentially ignore feints.

The Irish chasers talked about broom choice and physical training. 

The Bulgarian team didn’t say much. The group guessed it was because they didn’t speak much English.

“All right. Krum is out on the pitch having a practice fly so please head out there and wait. His manager says he will be finished in a few minutes.” The representative from Firebolt opened the door and led the group into the Bulgarian team box and directed them to take seats around the small room.

Krum was in the air. He was racing around the pitch, a man in white on his tail. They seemed to be racing to hit floating balls in the air. A random ball would turn green and then the fliers would race toward the ball. When the ball was hit it would light either red or white, the color of the flier’s uniform. They watched as Krum and his training partner raced to seven different balls, Krum won each time.

When they stopped, Krum and the other man flew toward the box. The man in white smiled at the group before heading through one of the doors, presumably toward the locker-room.

Krum handed his broom to a young man who had been standing in the corner and then stood in front of their group, his arms crossed over his chest. “I would like to congratulate you on winning the competition, Mister Potter. I am told you fly well for someone your age.” Viktor Krum spoke slowly, his voice heavily accented.

Harry smiled. “Thank you. The races were a good test and the last was challenging. I think I will see if I can set up something similar to train myself at school.” Harry stood and extended a hand. “It is an honor to meet you. I learned a lot watching you train just now.”

Viktor shook Harry’s hand. “It is good to take in what you see. If you are a seeker, that drill is very useful for training.”

“I planned to see if I could put that one together too.” Harry looked at his group. “These are my friends and family.” He introduced the group. “Draco, Charlie and I have been wanting to meet you all day. We are seekers and right now you are the best in the world. For us, it is an honor to watch you fly.”

“I do not know if I am the best. What I know is that I train hard every day to keep myself in top condition. If you want to play professionally, you must train. Best way to train is to fly against those who challenge you often.”

“I have a question.” Draco stood. “Do you think the broom matters?”

Viktor tilted his head. “Yes and no. A good flier can use any broom. If your opponent is flying a Nimbus, a great flier can still win on a newer model Cleansweep. There are some brooms that are far better than others. A Nimbus flown by a great flier could compete with a Firebolt flown by a good flier. A Cleansweep could not compete with a Firebolt on any level.”

“Harry, we need to switch brooms.”

Harry shook his head. “You can’t have my Firebolt. I will consider letting you use the Fireblast against Gryffindor.”

Draco studied him with a frown. “I can live with that.”

“You have a Firebolt?”

“Yes, my godfather bought it for me. He said he had never seen a better flier so he thought I deserved it. I love my Firebolt.”

“My Firebolt is my favorite broom. I like it better than any broom I have flown. It lacks some control but the speed and acceleration make up for that in my opinion.” Viktor studied the younger boys. “Would you like to fly with me? Seeker to seeker.”

Obviously, Harry and Draco said yes.

**Tents – After the Final**

“I can’t believe you were right.” Neville stared at the twins. “Seriously. How in the world did you guess correctly that Krum would get the snitch but Ireland would win?”

“We thought it was obvious. Ireland has the better team all around.”

“But Krum is the best seeker. He had Lynch flying in circles all night.”

“I wish I had put money on the game.” Neville joked. Draco nodded along with him.

“We do too.”

“Sirius put in a bet. He said if the game turned out like you said, he would split the winnings with everyone.” Harry sat down next to Neville, Hermione dropping down on Harry’s other side. “Part of the winnings are going to go into a fund for your future joke shop.”

“Sirius also said something about buying Draco a new broom.” Hermione grinned at the boy’s shocked expression. “He said he didn’t like having Lucius’s gifts in the house.”

They were celebrating. All in all, the whole group was pleased with the outcome. Most of the group had been cheering for Ireland, mostly due to the fact that they lived in the British Isles. The rest cheered for Bulgaria because of Krum. The fact that Krum caught the snitch was all they wanted. 

The Gryffindor quidditch team, Theo, Daphne, Cedric, Roger and their friends were partying with Harry’s group. Seamus and Dean had also joined the group, leaving Seamus’s mom alone in her tent; she had admitted to Remus that the two were driving her crazy. Ron and Ginny were not there; Molly had insisted, quite strongly, that Arthur bring them home by ten whether the game was over or not; luckily, they had caught the end of the game. They had a large plot on the camp ground so were spread around their plot and inside the tent. Bill, Charlie, Remus and Aria were with the kids while Narcissa and Sirius were at an after party restricted to Wizengamot members. 

Neville, Draco and the twins had been sitting outside by the fire when Harry and Hermione joined them; the tent was getting really crowded. Bill and Charlie were also outside, while Remus and Aria were monitoring the kids inside the tent.

Harry handed out fresh Butterbeers to the other boys, Hermione handed new glasses to Bill and Charlie. “Draco, did you even watch the game?” Neville grinned. Draco had been in his own world the entire day. He had yet to come down from the euphoria flying with Krum had filled him with. Krum had gotten both boys a Firebolt and had had them compete with him in the drill they had watched minutes before. Draco hadn’t hit a ball first but had enjoyed every second of it. Harry had managed to beat Krum to the lite ball twice; Krum had touched first the other eight times.

“My life is complete. I not only got to meet Krum, I got to fly with him.” Draco smiled widely. “He said if I trained hard, I could make a professional team.”

No one mentioned the fact that Krum had said Harry was already better than some of his professional opponents. Krum had confided in them that it was because Harry was fearless on a broom. He forgot or did not know there was danger while he was in the air so he didn’t second guess his actions. Fearlessness made for amazing seekers.

“We are going to be hearing about this for months, aren’t we?” Hermione asked. Neville could only nod in disappointment; the two really didn’t like to hear about quidditch all day, every day.

“I’ll try to change the subject.” Harry grinned, knowing his best friend and girlfriend.

Hermione kissed his cheek. “Thank you…”

She was cut off by an explosion and the screams that followed. 

The group surged to their feet, Bill and Charlie drawing their wands at the same time. Rah, who had been curled on the ground at Harry’s feet, lifted his head and hissed uneasily. 

“Mom…” Draco whispered, drawing his wand. He started to run toward the tent his mother was partying at but was grabbed by Harry and Neville. 

“Aunt Cissa is with a large group of people, including Uncle Sirius. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.” Harry whispered frantically.

“Plus,” Hermione added, gripping his shoulder. “Narcissa can take care of herself. She will be fine, if you leave you won’t be. We are stronger together.”

“Everyone, get back in the tent. No one comes out.” Bill barked orders while Charlie started herding people inside. Bill flagged some nearby families, particularly ones with small kids, and directed them into the tent too. “Inside. Keep the kids calm and away from the door.”

“We need to set up protections on all sides.” Charlie observed. 

“Get Remus, Aria, Percy and that Wood kid.” Bill ordered. Neville instantly headed that way, knowing it would be better for Bill and Charlie to stay outside. He dragged Draco with him to reduce the chances the other boy would take off to find his mother.

More explosions were occurring throughout the camp grounds. People were running around frantically, attempting to escape the flames. 

“We need to guard the tent from all sides,” Remus started speaking the second he cleared the tent flap. “We set up at the corners. Charlie, Aria, take the back corners, Bill and I will take the front. Oliver, Percy, I want you to support Charlie and Aria.” They nodded and headed to their posts.

Harry, Hermione and the twins stood near the tent entrance. Neville had stayed inside in an attempt to keep order and watch over Draco. He peeked his head outside to give updates. “Angelina, Alicia and I are in charge. The girls have herded everyone into the rooms. Those families Bill sent in are taking care of the youngest kids, Alicia and Katie are trying to keep the bold Gryffindors under control. Seamus and Dean want to go check on Seamus’s mom, Draco managed to talk them out of leaving.”

“I’ll see if Remus has any ideas.” Harry dashed to Remus. “Seamus is worried about his mom.”

Remus nodded. “I’ll send her a Patronus message letting her know we have the boys safe and to tell her to get herself to safety. I will suggest that she Apparate home.”

“I’ll let him know.” As Harry rushed back to the tent a silver wolf trotted into the burning tents.

**Grounds**

Aimee Beaucourt swore inelegantly as she stumbled through the mess that was the camp site. She had been separated from her group when the chaos started. It wasn’t her fault, she had stopped to make sure the group stayed together, unfortunately the group had split in two and both groups had left her behind. It was really irritating being the responsible one. Juliette and Sophia may play at being in charge, but they never paid enough attention and always competed with each other; which was why they were now separated. 

“Happy birthday to me.” She mumbled. Seeing the World Cup final on her birthday had been amazing; running through a campsite that was on fire, dodging men wearing black robes and skeletal masks, however, was not fun.

She stayed low, hoping she would go unnoticed. 

The sound of running feet to her left caused her to whirl, wand at the ready. Instead of hostile forces, she found four kids. Well, there were four under the age of twenty. If she wasn’t mistaken, the oldest was the young man who got third overall in the broom trial; Aleksander Todor. 

Aleksander placed himself in front of the younger kids. “We mean no harm.”

“Are you alright?” She asked, eyeing the scrapped hands and faces. It looked like they had been stumbling around as much as she had, but with a lot less luck. It looked like the boy, who was probably twelve, had gotten burnt. His hands were red and raw.

“We are good enough. We head to the woods.”

“That was my destination as well. Why don’t we travel together? I turned seventeen today so am legal.”

“This is good. Two wands are better than one. You lead, I will follow.”

Aimee nodded and took the hand of the only girl in the group. She looked to be about seven. “Stick with me sweetheart.”

So, she led the way. Staying low and avoiding people. 

They came to the end of a row of tents a few minutes later so she stopped and crouched low at the edge of the nearest tent. Taking a deep breath, Aimee peaked around the side searching the surroundings. She fell back behind the edge of the tent a moment later after laying eyes on half a dozen men in black robes. One man was levitating a woman over his head, dangling her over a burning tent as she screamed.

Aleksander shuffled closer. “What is holdup?”

“There is a group of robed men over there. We can’t go that way.”

“Alright, then we go this way,” he pointed to the left, through more tents. This path would lead them away from the robed men.

“Good plan. Watch our backs. Yell if we are spotted.”

He nodded and took her place, watching the robed men as the others of the group headed on through the tents.

Their retreat was going well until his youngest brother, who was ten, tripped and fell into a tent. He did not fall quietly. Robed figures turned and spotted the boy as he pushed himself to his feet. Two left the group to investigate, wands at the ready.

“GO!” Aleksander screamed. He watched Aimee, the girl from the flying competition, pull his sister and call his brothers to follow quickly. He turned his attention back to the approaching enemies. 

“BOMBARDA!” he shouted, aiming for a fire burning between him and the men. As he expected, the fire exploded and a wall of fire erupted, blocking their path both visibly and physically. Aleksander ran. Glancing over his shoulder he saw that all but the man dangling the woman over the fire had turned to follow.

**Potter Tent**

Harry refused to go in the tent. He had agreed to stay at the mouth of the tent but he would not go inside. Something told him he needed to be ready. Something told him that if he went inside, things would not go well. 

There had been no signs of attack near their tent, but they could see the signs in the distance. To make matters worse, the fires were spreading. Soon, none of the tents would be free of flames. Dobby had started popping people out, taking them to the Hogsmeade house. From there they could Floo home. Fay had gone with the first group to open the Floo for them. 

Bill and the other adults continued to call passing people to the tent, knowing the best way to control the situation was to reduce the number of people around. They had so far evacuated about twenty people, mostly parents and small children. Passing men had stayed to add protection to the tent. 

Harry was the first to spot them. He noticed them because of her hair and the color of her robes. Her hair was golden blond and reflected the light of the fires. To add to it, she was wearing a blue so pale it looked white in the night. She was dragging a smaller girl, with dark hair behind her. Seconds later, three others rounded the same tent the girls did. They were running, fear was evident on the children’s faces. 

Harry jumped to his feet, Rah wrapped around his shoulders. “They need help.”

Hermione looked up at him, then out toward the tents. She saw them too; she also saw men in black robes following them. “Bill.” She ran to the eldest redhead as he was closest to the running group. She pointed out the group.

No one was watching Harry, if they had been, they would have noticed he was leaving the protection of the tent. 

Harry ran forward, wand at the ready, Rah slithering across the ground at his feet, faster than should be possible for a snake. He saw the pursuing men too. There were five of them. Each wore a black robe, covering them from head to toe. Under their hoods they wore skeletal masks. Three of those masks looked the same, two were ornate and very different from each other.

“Aimee, this way.” 

The blond looked up and her eyes landed on Harry, the boy who out flew everyone. She gripped the little girl’s hand tighter and ran directly to him. “There are masked men following us. I do not know what they want.”

“Head to the tent.”

She pushed the girl forward and waved the younger boys forward as well, shoving them forward. “I will help you. The younger ones must have time to get there.”

Aleksander stopped next to them too, whirling to face their pursuers. “I will hold them.”

“HARRY! To your left.” 

Harry turned to find two masked me coming at him. “I will take these two, Rah. You help with the other five.”

“My pleasure.”

“The ones with the shiny masks are probably the most dangerous.”

“Agreed.”

_“Bindings of the chosen, restrict my enemies.”_ Two silver snakes erupted from his wand and sped to the approaching men; their masks were identical. They raised their wands, spells flying forth. Harry did not know what he faced but he did not dodge, if he dodged, the spells would hit Aimee and Aleksander. _“Chosen children, shield me.”_

The spells hit the silvery shield that formed in front of him. The shield hissed with each impact. The attackers did not have a chance to send another barrage of attacks, the snakes had found their targets and had bound them tightly, arms to their sides, unable to move. Harry sagged in relief and exhaustion. He had done too much again. Perhaps he shouldn’t have conjured a bunch of Parselmagic snakes to guard the tent.

Aimee was shielding while Aleksander was attacking. He had managed to stun one and bind another in ropes but that still left three others, two of the remaining had ornate masks. Those two were much more dangerous.

Harry watched as Bill raced past their international friends toward one of the attackers. Remus ran to Harry, Oliver at his side. “Oliver, get Harry back to the tent. I will collect those two.” 

Oliver nodded and helped Harry to his feet. “Come on, mate. You’ve done enough. Time to let the adults protect you.”

“Thanks, Oli.” He turned his attention to the foreigners. “Aimee, Aleksander, come on. Bill and Remus can handle this.”

The two glanced at Harry and nodded. They retreated, Aimee still shielding, and backed toward the tent.

Remus and Bill did, in fact, have it under control. Bill was facing off against one of the ornately masked men while Remus was facing the other two. Both were thanking Merlin that the robed men had not freed their companions. 

The man in the ornate mask facing Remus suddenly cried out and fell to the ground. His outburst surprised his partner, distracting him enough that Remus was able to stun him easily. Bill’s opponent saw both of his remaining allies go down, snarled and whirled. A moment later he was gone, Apparating to parts unknown.

“Harry, we are going to need some antidote if we want this guy to live long enough to question him.” Remus looked at the green and blue snake currently at his feet. “Good job, Rah. You brought down a Death Eater.”

Rah hissed in what could only be satisfaction. He had done as he promised, he had protected his brother’s friends and family. 

**Elsewhere on the World Cup Grounds**

Nott had been rather pleased with Lucius’s idea. He still loathed the man, but for now he was useful again. Tiberius studied the fleeing foreigners. Lambs to the slaughter, each and every one of them. He just needed to find the right one. A young man who was alone. 

Tiberius had sent his son home after the game. He knew some of the old guard were going to act, mostly because he had suggested it, though no one knew it was him doing the suggesting. His compatriots were not the most original men. They were predictable and easily influenced. It had been extremely easy to get a few of them drunk and then jokingly comment about the riff raff that would be in attendance at the World Cup Final. Goyle would be the one everyone remembered suggesting they do something about it; what no one but Malfoy would realize is that Goyle was Imperiused when he suggested it. Drunkenness easily hid the signs of the Imperius Curse. Not that Goyle would have minded anyway. 

The fact that Travers, Mulciber Jr., Avery and Macnair joined in had been a boon. Those four were inventive and not stupid. They would cause a great deal of chaos, which would make his task much easier. The lesser followers, such as Crabbe and Goyle, were cannon fodder at this point. He knew security was good, he had seen the improvements implemented by Bones so he figured that some of them would be caught. He just hoped none of the inner circle got caught while having their fun.

Nott opened himself, letting his core sense the magic around him. So many people, so few impressive power levels. He hummed to himself.

‘There,’ he thought angling to his left. Whoever was approaching had a decent core strength, he just hoped the individual was male and alone. 

Tiberius’s eyes landed on a foreign man and he smiled. Perfect. The British ministry wouldn’t look too hard for a foreigner that went missing at the World Cup. The man was young, perhaps in his mid to late twenties. He was relatively attractive, his lord wasn’t all that vain but he did appreciate what an attractive face did for a leader, so the young man would be acceptable in that aspect. The most important piece was that he was alone. 

Nott raised his wand and shot a silent stunner at the man. He fell to the ground before he realized a spell had been fired at him. 

Smirking, Tiberius sauntered to the man. He dropped a Port Key on him and mumbled the activation word. 

In no more than a minute, Tiberius Nott had stunned and kidnapped the man who would be the key to his master’s revival.

A flash of green pulled his attention to the sky. That wasn’t part of the plan. Someone had cast the Dark Mark, despite the fact that he had expressly forbidden it. That was his cue to retreat. He could not be caught anywhere near it. His job was far too important.


	22. Aftermath

**Grimmauld Place**

Harry sat in an armchair near the Floo, Hermione tucked into his side. He was glad that she had found sleep. She had tried to get some sleep, heading to the room Sirius had given to her, but sleep had escaped her. Harry had known he would not be able to sleep so he had headed to the living room, so that he was close to the Floo. He needed to be there when Sirius and Narcissa finally made it home. 

Aimee and Aleksander had already been there when he arrived. They were both unsure where their friends and family were. It had been decided that the safest thing to do was to get them off the tournament grounds so they had been popped to the Hogsmeade house by Dobby and then had used the Floo to travel to Grimmauld Place. Remus thought it was better to have them at Grimmauld because it was closer to the ministry and was more secure than the Hogsmeade house. 

Hermione had shuffled in about thirty minutes after Harry sat down. She had climbed into the chair with him, half in his lap, laid her head on his shoulder, legs across his and promptly fell asleep. His girlfriend hadn’t said a word.

The three other foreign kids were Aleksander’s siblings. His brothers Damyan, and Petar were twelve and ten. His sister Violeta was seven. All three were in a guest room upstairs; they had refused to be separated. Aleksander had stayed with them until they had fallen asleep.

“So how old are you?” Harry asked, attempting to break the heavy silence.

“I turned seventeen today. Or I suppose, it would be more accurate to say I turned seventeen yesterday.”

“Happy Birthday,” Harry smiled slightly. 

“My seventeenth birthday is on the second of September. You are a few years younger, yes?”

“I just turned fourteen on the thirty-first.”

“You fly very well for your age.” 

Harry could see the honesty in Aleksander’s eyes. He honestly thought Harry was a talented flier. “Thank you. You both flew really well. I wasn’t sure who was going to win. I thought you were both going to beat me.”

“I knew you were going to win.” Aimee entered the conversation. “I am good but I am not fearless. You fly like you have never heard the concept of fear. I have met fearless fliers and you are the best in my acquaintance.”

Harry blinked. “Thanks. I really did think you were going to win though. You are really good.”

“Thank you. I want to be a broom racer. You can’t join the league until you are eighteen though. They place the age restriction at eighteen because they require NEWT completion.”

“Broom racing?”

“It is not very popular in Britain. It is more popular in south western Europe. Essentially, someone designs a course, a lot like the final round of the contest, and a field of racers fly it at once. The track is generally more spread out and the rings can usually fit three or four people instead of one but the track is close enough to what a broom racer would fly.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun.”

She smiled. “I thought you might say that. You have the right build and the right style to be a broom racer. Being fearless would be in your favor as well.”

“But, if you were a broom racer, you would not be able to continue being a quidditch seeker.” Aleksander smiled. “You are a seeker right? I thought I heard your friend say that.”

Harry nodded, “I’m the seeker for my House at school. I made the team my first year.”

“I am not surprised. The way you picked up the flags screamed seeker.”

The trio of awake teens looked up when they heard footsteps. Remus stepped into the room. “Can’t sleep?”

They all shook their heads. 

“I couldn’t either. Aria is staying upstairs just in case one of your siblings wakes up from a nightmare.” He nodded to Aleksander. “Draco is in the library; he fell asleep reading about defensive spells. Neville is sitting with him. Fay actually managed to fall asleep as did the twins. Oliver, Alicia, Katie, Angelina and Percy are in the kitchen. Kreacher is serving them tea and biscuits.”

“Any word from Sirius?”

“He sent a mirror message a few minutes ago, he called me as he hoped you would be sleeping. They are still dealing with the cleanup and attempting to get everyone back to their groups. He has let the Aurors know that Aimee and the Todor children are here and thanked me for sending Dobby with information on their groups.”

The Wizengamot party had been in little danger. A Death Eater had started a few fires near their celebration but that had been it. They had been well protected because the highest concentration of Aurors had been posted in that area. Most had not left yet as they felt it was their duty to aid in reuniting families. Sirius and Narcissa had stayed because they knew the children were in good hands with Remus, Bill and Aria.

“What’s the damage?”

“I don’t know the full report but, so far, there are no reported casualties. There are a lot of reports of missing persons but Sirius figures most of that is due to groups getting separated in the mayhem. There were eleven people in Death Eater garb apprehended. Three of those carried the Dark Mark; the other eight attackers are too young to have been Death Eaters during the last war. All but one of the attackers wore the generic mask. The three with the Dark Mark are all individuals who claimed to be under the Imperius Curse during the last war. Obviously, the other eight could not have claimed Imperius as they were children at the end of the war or were still in school. The most notable is the man Rah took down. Gilbert Goyle appears to be part of the elite guard.”

“Goyle? Like Gregory Goyle?”

“Yes, I believe he is your year-mate’s father.”

“Is Rah going to be in trouble for biting him?”

“I can’t say for sure, Harry. I can say that the fact that we have anti-venom on hand and used it, coupled with the fact that there will be no lasting damage, there is a good possibility that the Aurors won’t care. It also means the Goyle family shouldn’t be able to do anything to you or Rah. They will be too busy dealing with Gilbert’s illegal activity. Amelia Bones will be coming by shortly with another Auror to talk to us about what happened. You can talk to her about Rah then.”

“If they want to do something to your snake, I will say something in protest. Those men were chasing us and attacking us. I saw them with a man who was dangling a woman over a burning tent. They were all laughing. If anyone should be punished it is the man your snake bit.”

“Thank you, Aimee.”

“I will speak for the snake too.”

Harry smiled at Aleksander. It seemed like he had made friends from other countries without even trying. He supposed dangerous situations did that. Come to think of it, he and Hermione became friends because of a life and death situation.

“Where is Rah, Harry?” 

“He wanted to check on Aleksander’s siblings. He was worried about them. Then he was going to sit with Draco. He sensed that Draco was on edge.”

“Can I ask what you did to the two you took down?”

Harry looked at Aimee and nodded. “I have been studying Parselmagic. I got a book about Parselmagic for Christmas and have since talked to a Parselmouth from India. The book and Parselmouth wizard have been teaching me how the branch of magic works. 

“I cast a spell, in Parseltongue, that is sort of like Incarcerous. Instead of conjuring ropes, it conjures snakes. Those snakes are momentarily sentient and can change direction so that you can’t miss your target. In certain cases, such as when facing a dangerous beast, the snakes will then burrow into the ground further securing the target.”

“That is very fascinating. I wonder if you could adapt the spell for someone unable to speak Parseltongue. It would be useful when facing a stronger opponent.”

Harry smiled, “I’ll let you know if I figure it out. I am already trying. My girlfriend really wants to be able to cast that one. Well, she actually wants to be able to cast everything that is in my Parselmagic book, but she did say that one specifically so it’s at the top of my list.”

“Thank you. I would love to do research into Parselmagic. I think the subject is fascinating. So few speak it and in some places they are feared so they don’t make their gift known. Just because some bad men spoke to snakes does not make the gift evil. I met a Parselmouth in Egypt when vacationing with my parents a few years ago. He actually saved my dad from getting bitten. The fact that he could speak to snakes saved a life; it didn’t make him evil.”

“You are correct, Miss Beaucourt. We are extremely proud of Harry for pursuing his gift despite the prejudice he will face from the general population.” Remus placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder and smiled. “I wish more thought as you did.”

The Floo flaring to life prevented her from responding. 

Amelia Bones and Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped through.

“Sorry for intruding so late. We just want to get preliminary statements while the events of the attack are fresh in your minds.” Amelia spoke to the group. “I would like to speak to everyone who was outside your tent if that is alright.”

“I’ll go get the adults. If you want to speak to the other kids after that, then we can wake them.”

“That is perfect, Remus, thank you.” She looked at the foreign kids. “Hello, I am Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. This is Kingsley Shacklebolt, a Senior Auror in my department.”

Aimee stood and extended a hand. “I am Aimee Beaucourt. I attended the Final with a group of friends from school. Everyone in the group is now seventeen so we were allowed to attend without our parents. I am the youngest, I only turned seventeen yesterday.”

“I am sorry your birthday ended in such a chaotic way, Miss Beaucourt.”

“I do not blame you, Ma’am. Unfortunately, people will cause trouble whether the authorities are present or not.”

Amelia nodded. This was correct. She decided to start with the girl. She signaled Kingsley, telling him to begin questioning the adults as planned. “You attended with Miss Juliette Ansel and Miss Sophia DuPont, correct?”

“Yes. There were twelve of us in all.”

“Then all twelve of you are accounted for. We reunited the two groups an hour ago. Four went with Miss Ansel and the other five went with Miss DuPont. You were the only one not accounted for.”

“That is a relief. I got separated while trying to call the two groups together. Sophia and Juliette both consider themselves the leader of the group, they never listen to each other. I am the only one who can get them to work together. In all the chaos I lost track of one group while trying to call the other. Then someone knocked me over and by the time I got back to my feet, all of my friends were gone.

“I decided to head to the woods and hid among the trees as someone was lighting tents on fire not far away from where I was. I stayed low and tried to avoid people in general. While running through a row of tents I ran into Aleksander.”

Aimee finished her tale being as detailed as possible.

Aleksander’s story was much the same. Only he was separated from his parents because a masked man had started dueling with his father. His mother had run the other direction, carrying his baby sister. Both his parents were okay. Amelia informed him that his father had been stunned and left lying on the ground. Another Bulgarian had happened upon him and revived him. His parents were together and had been informed that their other children were together and safe. Amelia had complemented his quick thinking. She said casting the blasting curse at the fire was ingenious.

Harry had gone next. “I don’t know if I should apologize for Rah biting that man or not.” He added after finishing his run through. “Remus said they weren’t firing friendly hexes. I told Rah to go after the ones with Ornate masks because I figured they were more dangerous. We didn’t intend to kill anyone. 

“I keep vials of antivenom on me at all times. The anti-venom is brewed by Professor Snape so it is a Healer’s grade antidote.” He added this to ensure she knew he took safety seriously. 

“Rah is sort of like a familiar. He will protect me and my family. To do that he bites his enemies; it is his only defense. Rah can regulate the amount of toxin that enters his prey and I told him we didn’t want any casualties, so he used a small amount of venom last night. A bit with no venom might not take someone down if they are strong enough not to react to the pain, so Rah needed to use at least some venom as the target was unfamiliar. The venom is fast acting so we had to use anti-venom. The anti-venom was on hand so we could keep the attacker alive and turn them over to the proper authorities.”

“That is a good idea, Mister Potter. Had your snake killed Gilbert Goyle, his family could have called for Rah’s execution.”

“Professor Snape alluded that was a distinct possibility should an accident occur.”

“It was wise to take his advice. It was also wise to have anti-venom brewed by a qualified Potions Master. There are few Potions Masters in Britain that always produce Healer Certified potions.” She made some more notes. “Could I have a copy of your memory of the night?”

“Of course.” Harry sat forward slightly, attempting to not disturb Hermione, and allowed Madam Bones to place her wand at his temple. He thought of the events of the night as clearly as he could.

“Thank you.”

Shack stepped into the room. He had been questioning the adults in the dining room. “I have the testimony from Lupin, the eldest Weasleys, and Miss Aria. I am about to go into the kitchen to get the statement from Mister Wood and the other Weasley.”

“Alright. Tell Mister Lupin that I would just like to speak to Mister Longbottom and Mister Black. The rest can sleep. I can send a Junior Auror to get their statement tomorrow.”

“I will have him come to you.”

Amelia nodded and turned back to the teens. “Do you think you could wake Miss Granger?”

Harry shook Hermione awake. 

She blinked up at him and then smacked Harry on the arm. “Stop doing that!”

“What did I do?”

“You ran straight at Death Eaters! You end up in enough life and death situations without running at them intentionally. I don’t need any more nightmares where you die!” she launched up out of the chair and stared down at him. “I don’t want to lose you, Harry Potter.”

Harry stood and wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry.” He hugged her tightly. “I don’t want to lose you either.”

**Minister’s Office**

“What is the damage?”

Amelia straightened. “Surprisingly, it isn’t as bad as we projected last night.” Amelia had met with the Minister the night before. At the time, they had yet to sweep the entire camp group; they had swept the stadium and the surrounding international booths, thereby securing the VIP individuals. She had sent him home when it was deemed safe for him to do so. 

“As far as we can tell, there were no fatalities. We have three individuals still listed as missing, though we believe one of those is likely due to a drinking bender; he has a history of disappearing after quidditch games where he places a losing bet, which he did last night. We will continue to look into all three missing persons reports. I will update you on our progress. 

“There were a large number of minor injuries, all of which have been treated and the patients were released. There were eleven more serious injuries but all should make full recoveries. One man will probably always walk with a limp after the events of the World Cup but his injury was actually caused prior to the mayhem and only aggravated by the confusion. The muggle family that owns the land have been Obliviated and their injuries treated.

“There was a lot of property damage. Most people lost their Wizarding Tents because the robed individuals were setting everything in their path on fire. A large number of vendors have also reported property damage. No one came out completely free and clear because of the widespread fires.”

“So, despite the fact that the Dark Mark was cast, there were no deaths?”

“That is correct, Minister. Unless of course, one of the missing was killed and their body was removed from the site”

“That would be out of character, wouldn’t it?”

“Typically, when the Dark Mark is cast it indicates a Death and is cast directly over the resting place of the body or bodies. The Dark Mark is essentially a vulgar grave Marker. So, yes, if they killed someone and took the body off the tournament grounds, it would be out of character.”

“How were they allowed to get as far as they did?”

Amelia sighed. “They attacked near the Wizengamot party first. Crouch placed more forces near this tent than necessary and instructed them to call for support in the event of an attack or major disturbance.”

“I thought you changed those orders. You indicated, and I agreed, that the forces should be more widespread. In fact, Rufus also agreed with your assessment.”

“I did but the men posted there were men who served under Crouch during his time in my chair and still feel loyal to him. He talked to them before the game started and told them to disregard my instructions. I suspect if they argued he would have claimed his orders came straight from you, skipping over Rufus and I entirely.”

“This is very troubling.”

“I agree but it is not surprising. Things have been extremely tense between Barty and I since the Sirius Black trial. He saw the entire investigation as an attack on his honor. He has not hidden his displeasure with me in the slightest.”

“If he wasn’t so entrenched in the Triwizard tournament dealings, I would suspend him and look into his recent actions. I can’t, unfortunately, because he is the primary point of contact between the foreign Headmasters and Ministers. I don’t want to pull attention to internal matters with foreign eyes so focused on Britain.”

Amelia was forced to agree. No one else in his office was really capable of handling all of that right now and they didn’t need the foreign press getting wind of an internal investigation. “It really is too bad. Barty keeps running people out of his department. Bertha was one of the few who could put up with him, and she is still missing. I would suggest you have someone look into his recent work discreetly. It can’t be someone in his office and it can’t be anyone who you would normally use.”

“Who would you suggest?”

Amelia thought for a moment. “Arthur Weasley. He is respected because of his integrity but often ignored because of the department he runs. He has a unique position here. Most people would not even notice if he was hanging around more often than usual because most don’t take notice of him at all, added to the fact his son is starting in Barty’s department soon and there will be even less question.”

“I will speak to him on Monday. How is the questioning going?”

“It seems like we caught the ring leader. Gilbert Goyle is claiming to be the mastermind behind the attack.”

“Did he oppose Veritas Serum?”

“No, which is why I question his role as leader. Gilbert Goyle has never been described as a leader or a brilliant planner. I personally see him more as a foot soldier or bodyguard.”

“Troubling. I am forced to agree with you. He has always been at Lucius Malfoy’s side, nodding his head as he takes orders. I don’t know that I have ever heard his personal opinion. You think someone else put the idea in his head?”

“Yes. I just don’t know who it could be or why. This doesn’t seem like Lucius’s style. We can only hope that whatever they had planned did not succeed.”

**Department of Magical Law Enforcement**

Marcus Flint sat in the chair fidgeting. He really hoped he wasn’t in trouble. 

He had been thankful when Madam Bones had placed him on probation instead of sending him to Azkaban. Kidnapping Potter and Granger had been stupid. Ridiculously stupid, truth be told, but he had felt like he had no other option. It had helped his case when he didn’t stun Draco Black. Marcus knew the boy saw them but let him go anyway. Amelia Bones had informed him that inaction was the main reason for her decision. 

Ever since that day, he had been living his life like a model citizen. 

He didn’t care that the trace was placed back on his wand. He didn’t care that he had to check in with a member of the DMLE twice a week to review the spells he cast. He didn’t care that he had to do community service. He was free, and that was all that mattered. 

Now, he might be in trouble.

Marcus’s father had bought him a ticket to the World Cup as a graduation present long before his arrest and sentencing to Azkaban. Madam Bones had approved his request to go. Everything had been going great. 

He had gotten to do a lot of great things; like watching the Firebolt contest; watching Nott and Greengrass gave him hope for his Slytherin quidditch team now that he was gone. And the game. Watching Krum was inspiring. Ireland had an incredible overall team. He was so happy he got to watch that game.

When the fires started, everything had been crazy. Marcus had started to run and hide like everyone else but had stopped himself. He was of age, even though he still had the trace; he had the skills to help underage students. So, he decided to help.

He had carried a small boy when he fell. Marcus had pulled a family out of their burning tent. When a man in a black robe had cast a bludgeoning hex at a man shielding children, Marcus had stunned the robed man. 

He had done all he could to help out at the World Cup. In doing so, he might have cast a few spells that had been deemed unacceptable for him to cast while under probation.

“Madam Bones will see you now, Mister Flint.”

“Thank you, Marianne.” Marcus stood and headed into the office. He really didn’t want to go to Azkaban.

Had Marcus thought about who he was speaking to, he would have realized that he had nothing to fear. Madam Bones wished to speak to him to thank him for helping out and to inform him that two months had been knocked off his probation. Marcus would learn a lesson that day. He would learn that life was much easier if you lived honestly and didn’t think only of yourself.

**Grimmauld Place**

Harry, Hermione, Draco, Fay, Neville and the twins sat at the kitchen table. They were nervous. Remus had collected them and told them that he and Professor Snape had something to discuss with them. His tone had worried them. Remus was not a joker but he was also not a gloomy person. 

Sirius, Narcissa and Bill were also in the room. Narcissa seemed angry. The fact that she was visibly angry was not comforting. Sirius was enraged. He kept pacing and biting his lips. If he were to crack a joke it would relax the kids, but he didn’t. Bill was the only one who seemed calm but the kids assumed he just had a better hold on his anger.

When Severus, Remus and Aria walked into the room, everyone tensed. 

Rah slithered in at their heels, unconcerned with the tension in the air.

“I want everyone to listen without interrupting. I will explain everything I know and if you have questions, I will answer them when I am finished.” Severus slid into the chair at the head of the table. Narcissa sat at his right. Remus sat at the other end of the table, Aria at his right. Bill and Sirius remained standing.

“This year, Hogwarts will be hosting the Triwizard tournament…”

Severus went on to describe what the tournament was. He detailed what some tasks had been in the past and the mortality rate of the contestants. With every gruesome detail, Hermione gripped Harry’s hand tighter.

The Potions Master continued to explain the rules, both old and new, including the age restriction and the fact that Ministry Aurors would be present at each event in case of any incidents. Jokingly, he added that Alastor “Mad-eye” Moody should be able to handle security for the school on his own. Severus did concede that Moody was good, but he thought only posting one man as year-round security was naïve at best.

“You said the Headmaster would be drawing an age line to prevent underage students from entering.” Hermione’s voice shook slightly with the fear she was attempting to keep at bay. “How does that prevent someone of age placing the name of an underage individual in the tournament?” 

“Excellent question, Hermione.” Remus leaned forward in his chair. “The teachers have decided that at least one member of the staff will be in the room with the Goblet of Fire at all times. The teachers will set up a rotation once the other schools arrive. They may or may not wish to join the guard.”

“And how are you going to stop one of the guards from Entering Harry while no one else is around?”

Everyone looked at Draco. 

“What?” He shrugged. “Are you trying to say that students are the only ones who could possibly want to kill the Boy-Who-Lived? Plus, this tournament is dangerous and Harry has horrible luck. How many times have you almost died at Hogwarts? Has it reached double digits yet?” Draco shook his head, “Can someone tell me why Hogwarts is still considered the safest place in Wizarding Britain?”

“And there it is.”

“Proof of the end of the world.”

“Weasley’s agreeing with a Slytherin.”

“You all know that no matter what you do.”

“Harry will still end up in the tournament.”

“The universe hates him.”

“Sorry, Harry, but it’s true.” The twins smiled at him sadly, no one could refute their conclusion because, traditionally, Harry did end up in danger no matter what anyone did to prevent it.

“Harry, how are you doing?”

Harry turned to Aria, the only adult in the room who looked calm at the moment. “Actually, I’m okay. I mean, with my luck I will probably end up in this tournament, placed there by someone who wants me dead, but at least I know beforehand. When it does happen I won’t be completely surprised.” 

He stroked Rah’s head. “I actually feel more confident about my magic now. Parselmagic has opened up things for me. It is something I can do that no one will expect and it doesn’t always rely on strict tradition. I am going to study harder because I think it will really come in handy during the tournament. It will be a surprise for my enemies when I defeat them with an ability everyone attributes to Voldemort.”

Aria stood and walked to him. “You are handling this better than everyone else is.” She kissed the top of his head. “We are here for you if you need us. If you are placed in the tournament, you won’t be able to ask a professor for help. There is nothing in the rules that says you can’t ask friends for help. So if you need help, I am here for you. I have a great resource.” She winked and tilted her head toward Remus.

“Thanks, Aria.” He looked around the table. “Is there anything else?” When he didn’t get an answer he stood. “Okay. If you will all excuse me, I need to go talk to my girlfriend.” He tugged on Hermione’s hand and led her out of the room.

“How can he be so calm?”

“He is used to it.” Neville stood. “Most of you weren’t there first year or second year for that matter. Harry has learned that if something is going to go wrong, it is going to go wrong in the worst possible way for him. A troll in the dungeon turns into a troll in a bathroom on the second floor Hermione happens to be in. Detention in the Forbidden Forest leads to meeting You-Know-Who.” Draco winced next to him. “Protecting the Stone ends with another meeting with Him and his friend gets injured. I could go on but I think you all get it. Harry has decided that he is just going to let it be. If something can happen, it will. He isn’t going to get angry or complain about it because that takes time away from dealing with it.”

“What about Hermione? Shouldn’t she be in the same spot as Harry?” Fay asked.

“Hermione is in an entirely different place, Fay.” Narcissa stood. “She is only just now coming to terms with what Harry means to her and Harry’s constant trysts with death terrify her. I think she has nightmares about what could have happened during all of those life and death situations. She admitted she wasn’t sleeping well and I think it is because she is reliving those events in her sleep but each time things don’t turn out well for them.”

“Is there anything you want us to do?” Draco asked the adults.

“Watch.” Severus stood and walked toward the door. “If you see anything even remotely suspicious, report it to either Remus or myself immediately.” 

“I’ll see you out, Severus.” Narcissa wrapped her arm around his, tucking her hand in his elbow.

Living Room

“You had something to ask me?” Severus looked down at Narcissa. He did not attempt to remove her hand from his arm.

“I am concerned about a great many things, Severus.”

“I can see that. What can I do to alleviate your concerns?”

“You are already doing what I would ask you. Their health is all I care about.” Severus knew she spoke of the children. She had all but adopted Harry and the other kids because she felt they needed a mother’s love and care, whether they already had one or not. “I do have something to ask you though. Do you think Dumbledore is losing his sanity?”

“What do you mean?”

“It is rare but it does happen from time to time. With the onset of age, the mind can lose its stability. Most wizards do not experience this loss of judgement and mental control because their magic helps sustain their mind. A small percentage still lose their mental facilities over time and the strength of their core does not make a difference one way or the other. Albus Dumbledore’s decisions over the last few years are concerning. I think it would be advisable to have a mind healer examine him.”

“I will speak to Poppy and see what she thinks on the subject.” He did not hesitate in agreeing with her assessment. He had been questioning Albus’s decisions for some time and Narcissa did not suggest something without research and thought. “I had not thought of that possibility. I honestly did not think it was a possibility.”

“Few do. It is rare and those who suffer from mind degeneration do not like to share. The only reason I know of the possibility is that my father suffered from a form of mental instability. His memory and ability to think critically suffered as he aged. It became so bad he did not remember to eat, we had to have a healer attend him every day. He barely recognized me when he died; he often mistook me for my grandmother as I resemble her greatly.”

“I am sorry to hear that.”

She shook her head. “It was years ago now. I have long since come to terms with my loss.”

“I will look into Albus’s mental health; if he is losing control of his mind then his actions are more explainable. Thank you, if it turns out he is losing control, then I think I will not feel as though I put my trust in the wrong man.”

Narcissa pushed up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for listening.”

Severus lifted a hand and cupped her cheek. He leaned down and kissed her temple and stepped back. The only thing he said was the Floo address as he stepped into the green flames.

**Library**

Harry sat in Hermione’s favorite chair in the Grimmauld Place library, Hermione shielded in the circle of his arms. She had broken down into violent sobs the second they sat down. He didn’t try to stop her tears; he knew she had been holding them back for far too long. Harry just rubbed her back and held her close. Letting her know, without words, that he was there.

“Why,” she sniffed into his neck. “Someone, please tell me why. Haven’t you been through enough? Why does it always have to be you?”

“Shh. Hermione, it’s going to be alright.”

“You don’t know that.” Her voice rose to a near shriek. “One of these days your luck is going to be up and you won’t come back. It would kill me if you didn’t come back. I can’t lose you, Harry. You’re my best friend.”

Harry closed his eyes, tightening his arms around her. “I know I am going to be alright because I have you. If I was alone, I know I would be terrified right now. But I’m not alone. I have Sirius. The twins, Bill and Charlie will always have my back. Then there is Neville and Remus; those two are so steady and dependable I don’t even have to ask for them to know they will be there waiting to take my side. Don’t forget Draco, Aunt Narcissa, and Professor Snape. I now have Slytherins around to tell me when I am being a stupid, reckless Gryffindor. 

“The list goes on even farther. Hermione, I have Fay and Aria, the chasers, Oli and Percy.” He pulled back slightly so he could see her face. “Most of all, I have you. I am alive because of you. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have known about the Basilisk. I wouldn’t have made it to the Stone. I seriously doubt I would have managed to keep calm if I didn’t have you with me last year.”

“Harry…”

“I will do everything I can to survive this, just like I always do. I am not going to go into anything blindly anymore. I am going to take a page out of your book and study. If I end up in this tournament, I am going to spend a great deal of time in the library researching and practicing my spells. I promise you, my weekends will be dedicated to keeping myself alive.

“I know there is danger in my future. It scares me but I am not going to let that fear stop me. I am going to use my fear to push myself harder.”

“I’m scared.”

“I know.”

“I’m afraid that I am going to lose you, Harry. I dream about it, nearly every night. When I sleep, I see the things that have happened to us. My dreams don’t turn out like they did in real life though. In my dreams you die. Every time. The troll smashes your head in. Fluffy eats you. Quirrell hits you with a Killing Curse. The Basilisk eats you or you go alone and Riddle kills you in time. The Dementors suck out your soul and I watch you live without life.”

“I know.”

“I’m tired of seeing you die in my dreams. It breaks my heart.”

“I can’t guarantee that I won’t get hurt or that I won’t die; no one can. All I can do is tell you I will do my best not to fall. I plan on living a long life, Hermione. A long life with you in it. I don’t know if we will always be together like this or if one day, we will end up just being friends again but, what I do know is, if I survive all of this, then you will be an important part of my life.”

The pair sat in silence for a moment, drinking in the feel of the other’s concern and support.

“I might be in love with you, Harry.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I might be in love with you too.”

“What are we going to do about that?”

“Enjoy it for however long it lasts.”

“I’m still scared.”

“Me too.”

“I am going to do everything I can to keep you alive.”

“Then I have nothing to worry about.”

“Prat.”

“Bossy, bookworm.”

“Reckless Gryffindor.”

“Look who’s talking.”

Hermione smiled and leaned into him. She was still afraid, but she could face her fear, as long as she had Harry. 

**Manor House**

Lucius was rather impressed with the place. He had no idea that Nott had a second manor house in the British Isles. If he didn’t know about it, then no one did. It was on the small side but that made it much easier to hide. The furnishings were old and in grave need of an update but he suspected that Tiberius had let the manor sit so that no one got wind of it. Nothing drew attention to a property more than an update. Tiberius Nott seemed to have planned ahead. Perhaps he was a worthy ally after all.

He was also pleased with Nott’s selection. Well, mostly pleased. He thought their Lord should look more dignified but he would have to live with it. Or did the host body affect their Lord’s appearance at all? He really should have studied this process more.

“What are you doing? Shouldn’t we get started?”

“Do you want the sacrifice to die before he can be drained?”

“Of course not.”

“Then leave me to my work, Malfoy. There is a powerful curse on the ring that will literally start rotting the body from the point of contact until the body breaks down to dust. If I don’t remove it, we will have to find another sacrifice and I don’t want a bunch of foreign wizards to go missing in Britain. Having one go missing at the World Cup is bad enough, we were lucky such a wide scale event happened here. Disappearances at such an event could be written off due to the nature of post event festivities. If another goes missing, we will draw too much attention to ourselves.”

“I could always bring one in from overseas.”

“Is that easier than using the man we already have in our possession?”

“I am not stupid, Nott.” The blond all but growled. He would not be made a fool of. 

“Then stop talking and let me work. This is delicate work.”

“Why don’t you just hire a Curse Breaker?”

“Because as far as I know, all Curse Breakers are under oath to destroy Horcruxes or deliver them to Gringotts so they can be destroyed. Curse Breaker training has an entire unit on soul anchors and students are trained to consider them the gravest evil known to man. Horcruxes are vile. If this one did not belong to our Lord I would take it to be destroyed myself.”

“Are they really so bad?”

“Consider the consequences if a man like Dumbledore created them.”

“We would all be serving muggles.”

“Exactly.”

“I will leave you to your work.”

“Thank you. If you want to be of use, you could weaken the man.”

“What would you suggest?”

“We need him both mentally and physically weak. I would suggest the Imperius and Cruciatus curses.”

“That I can do. It’s too bad he is a pure-blood.”

“Would you prefer we use mudblood magic to repower our Lord?”

“Would a mudblood even have enough magic to complete such a resurrection?”

Nott didn’t answer he just raised an eyebrow, allowing Lucius to draw his own conclusions. Tiberius was not as dense and self-important as Lucius. He knew magical ability was not entirely tied to blood status. If he did believe that he would never have followed the Dark Lord. He was aware of the fact that mudbloods could and did hold more power than pure-bloods from time to time. There was a reason his family occasionally found a mudblood from overseas, trained them to act like a proper pure-blood and married them. It infused the Nott family with new blood so their line did not run stagnant. 

The most powerful Wizards in the last hundred years had all been half-bloods. The Dark Lord was a half-blood despite what he told his followers. Dumbledore, the muggle lover, was also a half-blood. Grindelwald was reported to be a half-blood. If rumors were correct about his power, you could even add Harry Potter to the list and he was obviously a half-blood. But did anyone pay attention to that, no. If they didn’t want to learn then he wouldn’t try to teach them.

He worked methodically. If he failed to remove the ring’s protections, the host would die and things would be delayed yet again. There had been enough delays. Tiberius was tired of the status quo; nothing changed and nothing got better. 

If he was going to be honest with himself, the introduction of the Black cousins into the Wizengamot were making things interesting. Tiberius could see that they were working toward tolerance. There was probably nothing wrong with that. A tolerant government with acceptable regulations would most likely run smoother as it would have the support of the masses. But he didn’t want a tolerant government. Tiberius wanted his lord to rule on high. It was much more entertaining when the morons of the general population cowered in fear.

Nott had just finished running the ring though a series of detection scans, searching for any remaining trace of the deadly protections, when Lucius returned.

“The sacrifice is a whimpering mess. He is physically weak; so weak, in fact, he soiled himself while under the Cruciatus Curse. I have also significantly weakened his mind. The last time I attacked him with an Imperius he gave no resistance at all.”

“Good. Call one of your army of House Elves.”

“Why?”

“Because I require one and you have more than you could ever need.”

“Quigley.” He called with a frown. He and Nott were going to have to have a discussion about Nott ordering him around. As far as he was concerned, Nott was barely his equal. Lucius was not the minion that Yaxley was. “Attend Lord Nott.”

The Elf bowed and scurried over to the table Nott was sitting at. Nott turned and smiled thinly. “Carry this for me.” He levitated the ring into the Elf’s hand.

“NO!” Lucius shouted just as the ring touched the Elf’s wrinkled skin.

Nothing happened.

“What is wrong, Lucius?”

“You said the ring would kill whatever it touched.”

“And?”

“I do not blindly sacrifice my servants, Nott. They all have jobs that are important, losing one would be an inconvenience.”

“I was certain that I had removed the curse.”

“And yet the first being that touched it was my House Elf?”

“Would you rather I test such things on you? On our sacrifice?”

“I would rather you discuss these tests with me before you place my property in danger.”

“Why are you making a scene about this? You don’t care for your Elves. Your Elves are in the worst condition I have ever seen. You do not care for them the way the other old families do. I assumed you had so many because they died regularly due to over punishment and neglect.”

“I will not have you questioning my practices.”

“And I will not have you hindering my plans. If you continue to argue with me I will inform our Lord. It might interest him to know all you have done to further yourself in society while you forgot everything else. Did you even consider the possibility of his return, Malfoy?”

“I have the Minister in my pocket, Nott. When our Lord returns, I can control when and how the Ministry finds out.”

“Your control of the Minister is slipping. Bones has her claws in him. Your former wife also has his ear. You do not have the position you think you do. Cornelius Fudge needs constant reassurance or he will turn to others. I suggest you see to your pawn, Lucius. He is eating out of someone else’s hands now.”

Lucius snarled.

“Enough.” Nott pushed to his feet and made his way across the room toward the door leading to their prisoner. “I want to get started.”

Lucius Malfoy had no choice but to follow.

The man was a drooling mess on the floor. Nott crouched down next to him. “What is your name?”

“Dmitri Markov.” He managed to croak. 

“Hello, Dmitri. I have brought you here so you can be a part of something great. You see, my Lord Voldemort, has left a way for me to bring him back to power and I need your help to do it.”

“I will not help you.”

“Oh, you think you have a choice. You are, of course, wrong. In order to resurrect my Lord, I need a sacrifice and it does not need to be a willing one. All your unwillingness will do is delay things, but I can live with that. I suspected you would object so I had my associate soften you up. You are physically and mentally weak because of his efforts, your resistance would have been futile to begin with, now it is all but pointless. My Lord will rise again and he will do so because of you.”

Dmitri spit blood at Nott. It hit his cheek.

Nott smirked while whipping the blood from his face with a handkerchief he pulled from his robe. “Such spirit. I think that will improve my Lord’s power.” Nott took the ring from the Elf. He slid it on the man’s middle finger. “Fight all you want. It will not help you but at least you will feel better about yourself before you die.”

Nott stood and strode back out of the room. “Leave the Elf to care for Dmitri’s needs. We can’t have him dying while the Horcrux drains his magic.”

Dmitri moaned as he lay on the stone floor. The House Elf popped off to wherever House Elves go when they aren’t needed.

_Who might you be? It is no matter. I will learn all I need while I drain the life from you._

“I won’t let you win.” Dmitri wheezed to the empty room. 


	23. The Announcement

**Hogwarts**

“Welcome back to Hogwarts returning students and welcome first-years. I hope you enjoyed your meal tonight. Before we all head to bed I have a few important announcements.”

Harry and Neville shared a knowing look. Headmaster Dumbledore was about to make the big announcement. It was September first. The first years had been sorted, dinner and dessert had been devoured. The only thing left before bed was the opening feast announcements.

They started as they always did. The Forbidden Forest was forbidden to students. Filch had a long list of banned items. No magic in the halls. One difference was there was no new Defense Professor, for which they were eternally grateful. Remus was a great teacher.

“Things will be a bit different this year. I have the great pleasure to announce that Hogwarts will be hosting the Triwizard tournament. The Triwizard tournament is an ancient tradition placing the three most respected schools in the world in competition.

“An ancient artifact will choose one candidate from each of the three schools to represent their peers in the competition; we are limiting the selection to students who are of age for safety reasons. One student from Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and Hogwarts will compete in tasks designed to test their knowledge, bravery and cunning. 

“The contingents from Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang will be arriving the evening of Friday October 28th. The champions will be chosen on the night of all Hallows Eve. The winner of the competition will not only win a thousand Galleons but they will also walk away with Eternal Glory.”

“What about quidditch?” A rather loud and uninformed Gryffindor fourth year Weasley yelled.

The Headmaster looked at Ron with a grandfatherly smile. “The Headmasters have decided that it is unfair for only three people to get to participate in international competition. Each school has chosen an additional competition that will be open to the rest of the school. Beauxbatons has chosen an academic competition. Durmstrang chose a Dueling competition. Hogwarts professors chose to hold a quidditch tournament. I will let the coaches for the teams tell you about the tryouts.”

Albus gestured to Madam Hooch. She stood and addressed the students. “Each school will be allowed to field two quidditch teams. We decided that having one team per school didn’t really open the competition to that many more students but allowing all house teams to compete presented a problem with scheduling and did not show a united Hogwarts. 

“I will be holding tryouts for both teams this weekend, the time will be posted in your common rooms. Teams will be fielded from all houses so if you can’t be on the team with someone from a certain house, don’t bother showing up. There will be eleven people chosen for each team. The regular positions and an alternate for each position. I would like to request that all students trying out are fully capable of difficult aerial maneuvers, if you are not, you will not make the team.”

Professor Flitwick stood on his chair so he could be seen. “Durmstrang chose to set the number of duelers per school at nine. There will be seven competitors and two alternates. As Madam Hooch said, if you can’t work with people from all houses, you will not be chosen for the dueling team. Remus and I will be holding tryouts for the dueling competition this weekend as well. The time and place will be posted in your common rooms. We are opening the dueling tryout to OWL students and up.”

Finally, Professor Babbling stood. The runes professor smiled at the students. “The academic competition will be open to students of all ages. In total, there will be five students from each school competing at one time. There will be ten events, a subject for each event and each school will have two specialized students competing in each event. Specialized students will only be able to compete in one subject but you can apply for more than one at the tryout. There will also be three all-around students. All-around competitors will compete in all academic competition rounds so we ask that you have a strong understanding of many subjects. If you did the math that means twenty-three students from each school will be able to potentially compete in this event. As with the other two additional events, tryouts will be this weekend. They will be in the Library and the times will be posted in your common rooms.”

“Students will only be allowed to compete in one event so choose wisely when you consider which event to try out for.” The Headmaster smiled kindly. 

“Can the champions participate in the other events?” Hermione asked loudly. Harry was surprised she spoke up. Until he thought about why she was asking. She thought he would have to compete and she knew he would want to be on one of the quidditch teams. 

“Because the champions will not be decided until the other schools arrive, nearly two months after the tryouts, the champions are allowed to participate in one other event. They can drop out as there are alternates in each event. The coaches of each event ask that if you are entering as a potential champion that you inform whether or not you intend to withdraw from the team competitions if you become the Hogwarts champion.”.

“More information of the actual Triwizard tournament will be presented when the contingents from the other schools arrive. If you have any questions or concerns, please approach your Heads of House or the coaches for each team.” Dumbledore scanned the assembled students. “Now, I believe that is enough information for one night. Off to bed with you.”

**Beauxbatons – Dorm rooms**

“So, did you know about this?” Sophia had been asking everyone the same question. She was outraged she had no prior knowledge of the tournament.

“No, Sophia.” Aimee sighed in exasperation. “I did not know they were holding a Triwizard tournament this year. About the only person who could have possibly known is Fleur because of her father’s job in International Affairs.”

“Right. Fleur, did you know about the tournament?”

“Mon dieu. Sophia, stop asking everyone if they knew. I did not know, my father indicated there was something I might be interested in happening this year but that is all. His message didn’t really tell me anything as there is much that interests me.”

“Are you going to enter?” Juliette jumped in on the conversation. 

“I am.” Fleur answered simply.

“Will you enter any other events?”

Fleur hummed. “Perhaps the academic competition but I have a few days to decide on that. I think I would much rather focus my energies on the tournament if I am picked.”

“I am going to enter the dueling competition.” Sophia added. She always had to be in the conversation. “Who is better than I am in the dueling ring?” As arrogant as it was, she wasn’t exactly wrong. Sophia was one of the best duelists in the school. 

“I am entering the academic competition and the main tournament.” 

The other girls all looked at Aimee. “Really? The main tournament doesn’t seem like your thing.” Juliette almost sneered. “It is definitely something Fleur and I would do but not you.”

Aimee shrugged. “I feel like if I go, I need to at least put my name in. I know I am not the most talented student but that can’t be the only thing the artifact looks for. Madame Maxime said it looked for the person who embodied bravery, wisdom, cunning and skill. I think, under the right circumstances I could be all of those things.”

“Well said, Aimee.” Fleur smiled. She and Aimee were both sick of Sophia and Juliette’s attitudes.

“I know why you are entering,” Nicolette giggled. “You are doing it to impress your Bulgarian friend from the World Cup. What was his name again? Aleksander?”

“Oh, I completely forgot about that,” Eleanor smiled. “Do you think he will go?”

Aimee bit her lip. “Well he said he turned seventeen on the second, which just happens to be tomorrow. But he also likes quidditch and he knows how to fly so I would guess that he would enter the quidditch tournament even if he couldn’t compete in the main competition.”

“Why aren’t you thinking of competing in the quidditch tournament?” Fleur asked honestly.

“Do you really think I could? I didn’t play last year.”

“You are still the fastest flyer in the school. I think you should consider trying out for seeker of one of the teams. I don’t think focusing on broom racing will hamper your chances at making seeker. Playing seeker with other schools should give you some decent competition that you could use for the tryouts next season.”

“Oh, please try out for seeker. If you don’t, we will probably be stuck with Antonio as the first string for one of the teams. Antonio isn’t a terrible seeker but he is a pervert and I really don’t like him on my team.”

Aimee could sympathize with Talia; Antonio had always had a lecherous sneer. “Do you think I can talk Monsieur Jolivet into placing Antonio on the other team? Or better yet, not placing him on a team at all?”

“We should go talk to him. I know he was devastated when you didn’t play last year. He would do just about anything to get you back in the air.”

“Really?”

“Oui,” Fleur and Talia said as one. Talia was the best keeper in the school. Fleur did not play quidditch but she did enjoy watching.

“Well, then it looks like I am playing quidditch this year.”

**Durmstrang – Gymnasium**

“Do you think your manager will let you enter the tournament?”

“It is the off season, Aleksander. My managers cannot control what I do for school.”

Aleksander Todor, Mikhail Markov and Viktor Krum were running like they did every night. “There have to be some restrictions.”

“My manager knew the tournament was going to happen this year. He advised me that I should consider taking on new challenges this year. Ivan hinted that there would be prize money awarded. Donating my winnings to a charity would be great publicity.”

“That sounds like Ivan.” Aleksander agreed. “So, are you still barred from playing quidditch at school?”

“No. He had more news. If the school happened to decide to compete with other schools throughout Europe I was to offer to play.”

“Because it would be good publicity?”

“Da.”

“How are you holding up, Mikhail?”

The quiet boy shrugged. 

“Is there any word on your brother?”

“No. Normally that wouldn’t be anything to be concerned about but he was supposed to be home to visit right after the World Cup. When he says he is going to be home, he is there. If he is going to be held up, he sends word. We know something is wrong.”

“I saw Dmitri before the game,” Viktor assured his friend. “He and I talked for a while. He was excited to share his latest travels with you. There was nothing that would have delayed him.”

Mikhail nodded.

“Perhaps you can find some sort of clue while we are at Hogwarts.” Aleksander clapped his friend on the shoulder. “I could talk to some people I met in the chaos and see if they could look into it.”

“I have contacts I can try as well. We will help you find your brother, Mik.”

“Thank you, Alek. Thank you, Vic.”

“Now, are you going to try out for dueling or quidditch?”

Mik shook his head. “I am not the quidditch player that either of you are. I will be dueling at Hogwarts.”

“Well, I want to impress that French witch I met with my abilities as a chaser,” Alek smiled. He was thinking of asking the lovely Aimee Beaucourt out if she went to Hogwarts too.

“I am looking forward to facing off against a young seeker I met.” Viktor grinned. With the right training, Harry Potter could be the best competition he had ever faced. He may just offer him some of that training.

**Malfoy Manor**

Tiberius watched as the young, blond woman slipped out of Lucius’s study wearing a robe that left nothing to the imagination. What there was of it was sheer and showed her every asset to perfection.

“How old is that one, Lucius?”

The younger man looked up from his desk and glanced at her retreating behind. “I am not certain; I believe she is around twenty-five.”

“And is this one going to be around or is she just another one of the many that have been warming your bed.”

“I think I will be keeping Magdalena. She is well trained in the ways of a respectable pureblood wife.”

“Is that all she is well trained in?”

“She is the most talented of the many, as you put it. Did you come here to discuss my quest for finding a replacement wife or did you have other business.”

“Oh, Lucius, isn’t everyone concerned about which young thing you will entice into your bed to produce you an heir?” Nott sneered. He found the man’s obvious choices amusing. The women he had chosen were all lovely, well endowed, and brainless. “It was you who called this meeting, I was merely waiting for you to get on with business.”

“Of course. I wanted to know if there had been any progress with the prisoner.”

“Dmitri has spirit; I will give him that. He fights still despite the fact that the ring is gaining power. I suspect our Lord will have a new body by Yule, Valentines at the latest.”

“So long?”

“It takes time for the Horcrux to properly drain the host. If it drained the host all at once the power might be lacking. When power is drained gradually the core attempts to refill what is taken. If the Horcrux is allowed to work properly, it could potentially absorb twice the amount of magic the wizard originally had.”

“If that is the case, why did you have me weaken him?”

“Having you weaken him awakened his fight response. His entire being, core and body, was put on the defensive. Then the body is put in that state before a Horcrux is allowed to drain them, the core fights harder so there is generally a higher collection rate.”

“I see.” Lucius seemed disappointed in his explanation. Perhaps he was disappointed that Nott was still at least five moves ahead of him. “Have you heard from Yaxley?”

Nott frowned. That was the only thing out of his control at the moment. Yaxley should have found their Lord and returned by now. The fact that he had not heard from him was troubling. “No, I have not. He has not contacted me and this does concern me.”

“I have also had no world. My contacts were instructed to watch out for him and report any sightings. The last report I received was just before he entered Albania, which I shared with you at the time.”

“How reliable are your contacts?”

“Some are more reliable than others. The one who reported him going into Albania is perhaps the most trustworthy outside Britain. He is good and little gets past him. I have another associate seeking him out as I have not received any missives from him in some time and he religiously sends a report at least once a month whether he has anything of consequence or not.”

“You suspect he is dead?”

“It is the most logical conclusion considering who he is and what our deal was.”

“I want Yaxley found.”

“I will redouble my efforts to track him. You should have a report by the beginning of October at the latest.”

“Good. Was there anything else you wished to speak to me about because if not, there are plenty of things that require my attention.”

“That is all I had.”

“Until next time, Lucius. You should really head to bed soon. Your little tart will get lonely if you don’t attend her soon.”

“At least I have someone warming my bed.” Lucius sneered under his breath as Nott headed for the Floo. Nott was right about one thing; he really should get to bed. He wasn’t getting any younger and he was in need of an heir. Perhaps he should move things along and talk the lovely Magdalena into helping him get one.

**A Manor House**

Yaxley was beginning to question his choices in life. When did supporting the pureblood agenda mean losing one’s free will? Why did following the most powerful pureblood mean he was forced to hide away and act as a nurse maid? Better yet, why did he have to follow the orders of a man who had obviously lost his sanity years ago?

When he saw Nott again, he was going to kill him. That is, if he survived his current prison.

He had done as instructed. He followed the signs; signs that were rather easy to read if you knew what to look for. Following the signs led him to the thing that had once been his Lord. What he found was a Shade. 

His Lord had ordered him to brew a potion. Yaxley was no slouch in the discipline, so he managed the first stage easily. The second stage was almost as easy. After brewing for eighteen weeks, the potion was ready. He assumed it was meant for an enemy. Not being a Potions Master, he did not know what exactly the potion would do, but he knew it would not be good for the person who drank it.

What happened next would haunt him for the rest of his existence. 

His Lord had ordered him, without thought or remorse, to kidnap a baby. The child was to be younger than twelve-months-old and older than seven-months-old. Though he feared the reason they needed a child, he had found one within the age restrictions. The little boy was just shy of nine-months-old. 

The Shade had instructed him to do the most despicable thing he could have ever imagined. He could not, and would not, forgive himself for following that order. Yaxley had no qualms about killing his enemies. Mudbloods and blood-traitors deserved their fates. Children and infants, on the other hand, had not lived long enough to know their own mind or the opinions of those they would one day oppose. 

When he poured the potion down the infant’s throat, he had nearly vomited. 

The potion transformed the child’s body in disturbing ways over the next thirteen hours. At the stroke of midnight on the thirteenth day, his lord possessed the body of the now skeletal, disfigured baby.

Ulysses Yaxley jumped when he felt the gigantic snake slide over the toe of his boot. Merlin, he hated that snake. 

Nagini had been with them the entire time. Every time he turned around, the snake was there, watching. He could feel her gaze wherever he went and spent a great deal of time looking over his shoulder hoping he did not spot the magically altered beast. Her gaze was piercing and screamed of knowing. Though he knew it to be impossible, he feared the snake knew his thoughts. 

“Come, servant,” his mutated Lord called weakly. “Your Lord requires your service.”

Perhaps the only good thing about the entire situation was that his Lord was nearly incapable of action. He could barely lift his wand. Yaxley had to feed him, bathe him, move him. The only thing he did for himself was lift his wand to punish or kill. 

And kill he did. They had been spotted a handful of times while traveling to Britain. Their hideouts had not always been entirely secure because he had little time to scout them. For the most part, his Lord did not mind. He relished in killing those who stumbled upon them. That did not mean he did not punish Yaxley. The Death Eater had nearly lost count of the number of times he had been placed under the Cruciatus Curse since he rejoined his Lord. He did think they had lost their potency during His time as a Shade, so he had not suffered as he had before his Lord’s downfall.

Yaxley bowed his head as he entered the room; always showing respect he did not feel. He fought the scowl that threatened to spread across his face when he spotted the other occupant of the chamber. It seemed that Crouch was back. 

Somehow, Crouch had been in contact with their Lord for a while. Barty Crouch Jr. had been living in a prison designed by his father. Constantly living under his father’s will; constantly in an Imperious haze. Nearly two years ago, Crouch Snr had been lax in his control of his son. Barty had been out of the fog just long enough to snatch his father’s wand and return the favor. The Head of the International Magical Cooperation Office at the ministry had been living under his son’s instruction ever since. Every move he made was at his son’s leave, which meant it was ordered by their Lord.

He had seen the body of Bertha Jorkins when he had found his lord. When asked, his Lord had told him that Barty, his favorite follower, had sent the woman to him to relate his activities in Britain. They had managed to communicate for a few weeks before Bertha died.

“Well done, Barty. Things are going exactly as planned. Contact me when you can. I know you may find it hard to get away in the current circumstances, send the elf when you are able.”

Crouch leaned forward and kissed their Lord’s tiny wrinkled hand, stood and swept from the room, a feral grin dominating his face. Yaxley had to fight the bile churning in his stomach.

“What does my Lord require of me?”

“I need sustenance.”

“Of course, my Lord.” He walked to the cabinet he had spelled to keep the pre-prepared potions at the proper temperature. “When would you like me to approach Tiberius Nott?”

“I am not ready to bring Nott back into the fold. I do not want you to contact anyone. You will only speak to Barty and myself.”

“Nott did say he had a plan to bring you back to power. He was the one who sent me to you as he had seen the signs.”

“Then he should have come himself.”

“He instructed me to find you so that everything would be in place by the time we returned.”

“His plans matter not. My plan is better by far and will take care of more than one of my problems. All will be well if you do as I say. Now, are you going to feed me or do you wish to feel my anger?”

No, he did not want to feel that thing’s anger. Yaxley did as instructed and fed the thing that hosted his master’s mind and emotions. As he did so, he struggled to keep his revulsion in check. 

Ulysses Yaxley wondered if this was really going to help the pureblood agenda or if it was only going to bring one man to power while all others, pureblood, halfblood and mudblood alike, lived in constant fear and squalor.

**Hogwarts – Quidditch Pitch – First Saturday**

Most of Hogwarts was at the pitch, ready to watch the team selections. The quidditch tryouts would span the entire day so students would most likely come and go depending on whether they were trying out for the Dueling or Academic competitions. The Dueling competition would start after lunch, at 1:30 in the Great Hall. 

The Academic tryout had different time slots for each subject. Students would get an hour to attempt to answer all questions in the written exam. The top scores would be announced the following day. Some subjects would require a practical portion as well. Professor Babbling would choose the top scores from the written test then have them perform a practical exam with the subject’s professor early on Sunday. 

Harry stood with his friends and family, watching the students enter the pitch. There were a lot of people trying out. 

“I hope Madam Hooch has a good plan to get rid of some of these people, I don’t even think some of them have ever flown before.” Draco nodded toward some students that looked like first years.

“I am sure she has a plan, Draco. Madam Hooch does all of the flying instruction for the school and referees the games. She isn’t new to this.”

“You are, of course, correct,” he conceded. “I just pity her; this looks to be a demanding, long day.” He turned his attention to the brunette. “Are you trying out for an academic subject?”

“I was planning on sitting for the Arithmancy and Charms tests. Both are later today. Arithmancy is at eleven and Charms is at one. Hopefully that means I can get back in time to watch the best fliers.”

“Is anyone else trying to join the Academic team?” Harry asked. They had been joined by the Gryffindor quidditch team. 

“Professor Sprout asked me to sit for the Herbology test,” Neville blushed slightly. He had been surprised at the request, he never would have considered joining any team considering he didn’t fly and he was only a fourth year.

“Well, that makes sense. You know more about Herbology than anyone else in the school. Doesn’t Professor Sprout have you helping her with preparing the NEWT level plants before classes?” Hermione smiled at the boy. “From what you have told me, you handle more complicated plants that the seventh years do.”

“Do we know anyone else in our year who is planning to try?”

“Blaise was planning on trying for the Dark Arts test. From what the flyer said, the subject wouldn’t be limited to Defense but would actually touch on the Dark Arts. This will be problematic for most of the school but there are some Slytherins who know a great deal about the subject because of their parents. I think Blaise will probably be chosen for that subject because his family is VERY knowledgeable about both sides of the subject.”

Neville nodded. He could see that too. The Zabini family were almost legendary in certain circles for their knowledge. “So, are you all trying out for the quidditch teams?”

“Everyone but me,” Angelina smiled. “I am entering the main competition. I don’t want to have to withdraw from the team if I am chosen so I’m not trying out.”

“She is trying out for the dueling team though,” Alicia shared. 

“Right. Well as you all know Hogwarts doesn’t have an official dueling class or club. What you don’t know is that there is an unofficial one. Sixth- and seventh-year students that score well in the dueling portion of Defense get together to practice dueling. I am actually one of the better duelers. I figure that I can try out for dueling and if I make it, it will be good practice for the individual champion competition.”

“That is actually brilliant planning, Angelina.” Hermione raved. She wished Harry had the dueling experience to do the same. “I would love to help you train.”

“If I make the team, I could show some of you what we learn. I would probably be good training to review the basics by teaching it.”

“I may just take you up on that, Angie.” Harry smiled. 

“ALL RIGHT.” Everyone turned to the center of the pitch. “I need all individuals trying out for the school teams to come to the center of the pitch. If you are not trying out, either head to the stands or leave.”

“Good luck, everyone.” Neville led the way toward the stands.

Hermione pulled Harry into a hug. “Good luck. Not that you need it.” She kissed his cheek and sped off after their friends.

“Are you ready for this, Draco?”

Draco gripped the handle of the Fireblast tightly, “I am very ready for this. Thanks for letting me use your extra broom Harry.” Draco preferred Harry’s Fireblast to his 2001, not because there was a huge difference in quality, but because the Fireblast was not a tool his father used to buy peoples’ loyalty. 

“If you want to thank me, then fly your best and give me a challenge.”

“Now that I can do.”

By the time Hermione left to take the Arithmancy test, seventy percent of those trying out had been sent to the stands. Madam Hooch made quick work of weeding out those that were not nearly experienced enough and she did it in the simplest way. 

She had them fly from goal post to goal post. 

One would think that everyone trying out could at least manage that feat, however, a good thirty students couldn’t. 

She split the hopefuls into groups and had them fly a specific path around the pitch. The course was not particularly challenging but did weed out those who could not keep their seat or were incapable of finishing the circuit in a reasonable time. Every flier, no matter what position needed to have a good handle of their broom.

It was at this point she released the bludgers. Madam Hooch had the school’s current beaters handle the bludgers, firing them toward the fliers, as they flew the course again. Another large number of fliers were eliminated because they could not multi-task. To play quidditch you needed to be able to fly and watch out for bludgers. 

“Alright,” she addressed the remaining fifty or so fliers. “I am going to bring out some special guests. It was decided that each team would be coached by a former student. All three schools have contacted former members of their quidditch teams and have asked them to come back and help coach the school teams. The coaches must be graduates of the last three years so that we don’t end up with first string professionals acting as coaches. Hogwarts was lucky to have two recent graduates who have been signed as third string players on British league teams willing to help us. I believe you all remember Oliver Wood and Marcus Flint.”

The gathered hopefuls cheered, some louder than others. 

“Alright,” Oliver smiled at the gathered quidditch enthusiasts, his gaze lingering on his team. “Now that we are down to the best of you, let's change things up.”

“We know from watching, and past team positioning, what position most of you are trying out for. If you are trying out for Keeper, please stand under the left hoops with Fleet.” Marcus Flint waved toward the hoops. Herbert Fleet, the former Hufflepuff keeper, waved to draw everyone's attention. “Beaters, please join the Weasley twins under the Gryffindor Emblem.”

“Seekers, please join the youngest seeker in a century under the Ravenclaw banner.” Oliver grinned while Harry rolled his eyes while standing under the banner. “Finally, chasers head to center field.”

The coaches set up six teams, as there were six people trying out for the seeker positions; four of which were the previous house seekers. 

There were nine trying out for keeper. They had the chaser potentials do one on ones with the keepers to test their skills. After the drills they had the keeper potentials down to six, though Oliver and Marcus were fairly certain which four they were going to pick.

There were only ten beaters trying out. Four of the Mock teams would have three beaters, the other two teams would play with the regular two. The teams with two were fielded with the beaters who had played on teams before. 

Finally, the chasers. There were twenty-four left when they started setting up teams. They managed to cut six during the keeper drill, so that each team only had three chasers. 

“Let the games begin.”

**Staff Room**

“So, boys, what do you think?” Madam Hooch sat back and let the former rivals go.

“Well, in terms of seekers, it is fairly obvious that the only ones with enough skill are the team seekers.” Oliver had not been impressed with the other two choices. With time, the Gryffindor could be something but they didn’t have enough time to train him up to be game ready. The other was fast but he had next to no interest in the snitch, he got too distracted by feinting or watching the chaser play. 

“We do have to consider that Diggory will drop quidditch if he is chosen as the champion.” Marcus added. “Which, considering who will be of age, I think is a good possibility. He may be a sixth-year-student, but he is the most dedicated student I know.”

“Good point, so we put Diggory as the starter and Malfoy as his alternate. Malfoy has really improved and it isn’t just the broom. He matured last year and appeared far more dedicated to his training. I think he is a stronger flier than Chang.”

“I agree with Wood. Do you have any objection to giving the starting spots to Potter and Diggory, with Chang and Malfoy as their respective alternates, Madam Hooch?”

She smiled. “No boys. That is exactly what I had planned.”

“I would like to talk about the beaters next.” Oliver jumped in. “Do we separate the Weasley twins?”

“Well, that could go either way.” Marcus frowned. “The twins are great together and they suffer when they aren’t a team but they are so much better than any other pairing it really isn’t a contest.”

“Do you want to work with them?” 

Marcus’s eyes widened. “No, not really.”

“I know how to work with them and keep them focused.” He looked over to Madam Hooch. “Do we need to announce the line ups when we post who made the teams? Or can we talk to the teams about our ideas. They may have ideas about who they work best with. Or we could even play with the line-ups at the first few practices.”

“Let’s see if we can fill all of the slots, with no team in mind. We can try to sort out the most even teams once we have all positions filled. Who else would you like to be on the beater lineup?”

“Lomax.”

“Inglebee.”

“Rickett and my suggestion would be Wilkinson. Wilkinson has never played but he used to practice with the Slytherin team.”

“I agree, Marcus.”

“Alright. Who do we want at the hoops?”

“Is it just me or did you only like two of them?”

“No, Wood, it isn’t just you. Only two of them had a good tryout. I will say that Bletchley does better in actual games.”

“I seem to remember he had a better record than he showed today. The best after him, unfortunately, was McLagan.”

“I thought you would love that a Gryffindor was on the short list.”

“Technically there were two, Ron Weasley and McLagan, but Weasley fell apart in actual gameplay and McLagan is a self-important, controlling, ponce.”

“Okay, so I coach the ponce and you get Bletchley.”

“I can live with that.”

“Now the difficult part. Chasers.”

“This is going to be a long night.”

**Gryffindor Common Room**

“How did the academic tests go?”

Hermione leaned into Harry’s side and half shrugged. “Honestly, not great. I don’t know nearly enough about Arithmancy to qualify for that test and I think I will be lucky to score high enough to even attempt the practical portion of charms.”

“Don’t feel badly, Hermione. You’re a fourth year.” The group turned to the sixth year Prefect, Elizabeth Wittman. “They are testing for knowledge that covers through the end of sixth year. I don’t think I did well enough to make the History team either and I was the top in History for fifth years last year.”

Hermione smiled. The older girl was right. The academic competition did cover through sixth year and they had been told that the subject matter would touch on obscure rules and some curriculum from seventh year. The subject matter from earlier years would require very detailed answers with no room for interpretation. “Your right. Well, at least we know that one of us will be on the team. Neville really is the best student in the school with Herbology.”

Neville shrugged. “I’m not that good. I just do a lot of work at the Longbottom greenhouses.”

“Neville, seriously, you need to stop being so modest.” Harry shoved his shoulder lightly. “You’re my best mate and I think you need to have more faith in yourself. I wouldn’t trust anyone with my plant issues more than I trust you.”

“You have a lot of plant issues?” He laughed at Harry’s wording.

“Well there was that one time with the devil’s snare, you weren’t there and Ron almost got squeezed to death.”

“I wasn’t there because Hermione put me under the body-binding hex.”

“Have I apologized for that?”

“Twice.”

“Well, I am sorry. It was necessary but I am sorry.”

“Actually, if we had just let it be Headmaster Dumbledore would have dealt with Quirrellmort. He couldn’t get the stone because he wanted to use it. It was perfectly safe.”

“Yes, but if we hadn’t gone down there you wouldn’t have learned that Professor Snape was saving your life instead of trying to kill you. Had you not learned that you probably wouldn’t have gone to Professor McGonagall. So, you wouldn’t have had any help from a Professor when you went to the chamber. You probably would have died had I not put a body-bind on Neville.”

The group stared, wide eyed at Hermione. “I’m sorry, but did you, Hermione Granger – follower of rules, just manage to justify your rule breaking because it led to Harry following the rules a year later?”

“Yes, Fred, I believe she did.”

“I thought so, George.”

“I really like this Hermione, brother of mine.”

“As do I, less attractive brother.”

“Please don’t start. You two give me a headache.”

“You know you love us, Neville.”

“Yeah. Without us there would be no fun in your life.”

“Without you, I wouldn’t have to check my sheets for itching powder.”

“That wasn’t us.”

“Yeah, we put itching powder in Ronnie’s bed.”

“No, you put itching powder in every bed but Harry’s.”

The twins looked at each other for a moment. “He’s right, Forge.”

“I know, Gred. Were we too obvious?”

“Probably, but Harry is too suspicious of us and checks his bed nightly.”

“And his clothes.”

“And his towels.”

“He is very hard to prank now.”

“Do you think it has something to do with living with a legend?”

“And the fact that we had a prank war nearly every day over the summer.”

“We need some new blood.”

“Who can we prank?”

“How about you think more on what type of products you want to sell in your joke shop?” The twins looked at Harry. “If you spend less time on mediocre pranks and more time on product development you can then test new prank items and improve them.”

“He’s right.”

“We need to get to work.”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“You know,” Hermione smiled, “I completely forgot to mention this idea I had for a prank. What would you say if I asked you to create a personal rain cloud?”

**Ministry of Magic – International Affairs Office**

Arthur Weasley smiled at Olden Mercer, one of the interpreters in the International Affairs office. Mercer was a worse gossip than Bertha had been. The man spoke eight languages so was often called to sit in meetings with Barty and whichever foreign delegate he was meeting. This made him a perfect person to get dirt from.

“I am glad to hear that Barty is feeling better. He has been ill for some time.”

“Don’t I know it, Arthur. He has been sick, off and on, for about a year now. Some days he comes in like the Barty we all know and fear, hard and demanding, other days he comes in here sluggish and quiet. I was relieved when he assigned a few of us to the World Cup. Normally he would handle that himself despite needing to translate for multiple representatives which is not his specialty.”

“I will admit, he looked slightly under the weather when I saw him at the game.”

“He did. I had taken over as contact for the international booths because he was feeling off and he needed to focus on the Bulgarian Minister. Worked out really well in the end. Well, that is until the Death Eaters showed up.”

Arthur nodded. “I was lucky enough to have already taken my youngest home so I wasn’t involved. I know the rest of my kids were there when they struck, but they were all with the Black group so they were safe. The only one who saw any spell-fire was Bill and he is very capable.”

“You must be proud of your boys. Three out of school and all doing well in their chosen careers. Bill is a Curse Breaker for Gringotts, which basically says it all. Those Goblins are picky so he has to be powerful and intelligent. Then the Dragon handler. Most people think that means danger seeking and brainless, but we, at the ministry, know it means strong magic and a connection with natural magics most don’t ever feel.” He grinned seeing the newest addition to the department. “Then there is Percy. The kid is doing great. We love him around here.”

Arthur let his gaze drift to his eighteen-year-old son. “He always said he wanted to work for the Ministry. Told his mother when he was five, he was going to be the Minister someday.”

“He could do it too. He is absorbing everything he can and doing it while making friends.”

“Is making Barty happy? Come to think of it, where is Barty? I thought he was supposed to be finalizing some things for the tournament before heading to the meeting with the minister.”

“Not sure where Barty is actually. He disappeared about an hour ago. Got real pale and doubled over. I think he said something about needing the restroom.”

“Then why does everyone think he is on the mend? Why did you say he was feeling better?”

“Said he ate something that didn’t agree with him earlier. Was complaining about gas when he came in. Stomach pains have not been part of his illnesses. Did you need Barty?”

Arthur played at blushing. “I was just hoping to check in on how Percy was doing. He had a hard time deciding his path despite his childhood dream of being Minister. A friend of the family opened his eyes to the troubles of the world. It made him consider taking a different path but he did come back to the Ministry. He wants to eventually change the world from the inside. A father worries. I wanted to make sure Barty wasn’t disappointed in him. I know you said you all love him but Barty is hard to please.”

“Well, I never would have guessed that he ever considered being anywhere else. Honestly, this is a great office to start in if he wants to be Minister. International Affairs teaches wizards how to be diplomatic, a trait that is sorely lacking in some people around here.” Mercer shook his head. “You have nothing to worry about, Arthur. Your boy has a bright future in the ministry. Most who come in here with grand ambitions are too focused on the end game that they make enemies. Percy is learning everything in a friendly, helpful way. He is acquiring contacts he may need in the future. Barty may not say much, but he likes him.”

“Thank you.” He looked down at his pocket watch. “Oh, look at the time. I hadn’t realized I had been away from my desk for so long and I still want to check in the Percy. Excuse me, Olden.”

“No problem.”

“Let me know if you need anything, with Barty’s health issues you may need help from a department head and we have been a bit slow in my office.”

Olden only smiled as Arthur made his way to his son. 

Percy was sitting at a tiny desk in the corner, reading through correspondence and writing out notes. He looked rather dignified with his reading glasses on. 

“How are you doing?”

Percy looked up and smiled at his father. He was still living at home, a peace offering to his mother, and saw his father every morning but he loved that he often came to check in on him while at work. “Busy but I think I am getting this down. I plan to ask Olden if he would help me learn a second language. I think it would be beneficial.”

“You’re not wrong. Fudge made a fool of himself with the Bulgarian Minister. It wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t a good thing either. The Bulgarian Minister just thought it was funny.”

“Is there something you needed, dad? You talked with Olden for quite a while; it isn’t unheard of because Olden will talk your ear off but it did seem odd to me.”

Arthur worried his brow and quickly put up a silencer around Percy’s little desk so no one could hear their conversation. He did so in a way that no one would have even noticed had they been looking. Of course, they could always claim family business if anyone asked. “I was approached by the Minister, at Madam Bones’s recommendation, because they are concerned with some of Barty’s recent actions.”

Percy’s eyes widened slightly. “Like what?”

“It seems Barty changed the security at the tournament grounds, placing over seventy percent of the Aurors around the Wizengamot tent and spreading the rest of them thinly over the grounds. The Aurors at the tent were given instructions to call for support, which they did, when the fires started. This further disadvantaged the rest of the grounds which is essentially why the damage was so bad.”

“What? Barty said that the security plan was all Madam Bones’s idea. He was ranting about it for over an hour the Monday after the tournament. Of course, Olden questioned him about when Madam Bones could have possibly changed the plan as he knew Barty and Rufus were the ones who drafted the original. It has been rather tense ever since.”

“Odd. I saw Amelia’s revision and it was a more widespread and even layout. There is no way the damage would have been as bad had her plan been in effect.”

“That was my thought. I just assumed the orders got lost in transit. Do you want me to keep an eye out for odd behavior?”

“Do you mind?”

“No. I work for the Ministry and if one of the Department Heads is purposefully damaging the Ministry or even just another Department Head then I want them caught and dealt with.”

“I don’t know if it is purposeful or if it is just revenge for the Black trials but things are strange in this office. Amelia and Cornelius asked me to hang around and it isn’t odd if I do but I can’t spend my entire day here. If you kept an eye out, we would have less chance of missing something.”

“I can give you updates at home. That way there is no chance of anyone realizing I am feeding you information.”

Arthur walked around the desk and pulled his son to his feet. “You make me so proud to be your father, Percy.” He pulled his son into a hug. “I am so proud of you for doing the right thing despite what the immediate consequences might be.”

“Thanks, dad.” He felt warmth build in his stomach. “Of course, I figured if Crouch finds out and fires me, I could transfer to Madam Bones’s department.”

Father and son smiled warmly at each other. They were a team and would see this through together.


	24. Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small warning, parts of this chapter deals with age-related illnesses. I know this can be hard for some as they are dealing with these issues in real life, my grandparents are suffering from mental deterioration so I do understand. I hope what I have hear does not cause anyone problems.

**Hogwarts**

Severus stalked through the halls, his customary robes billowing in his wake. There was much to do and very little time left to him before the school year began. The only consolation he had, was that he had finished all the brewing required for the Hospital wing over a month before. He was severely behind on his many side projects, most notably, his variations on the Wolfsbane potion. There had been no improvement in recent variations. 

All his tests did as they were supposed to, preventing the madness from overwhelming the wolf mind, but the pain dampeners either didn’t work or made little difference. He wasn’t sure why he was so obsessed with this project, and the cure. Perhaps it was the fact that seeing a child suffer the effects of the change was painful to watch. Perhaps it was his improved relationship with Lupin. Perhaps he was attempting to help Aria and Fay so Narcissa would stop worrying. Reduced pain wasn’t enough, he wanted them to go pain free. 

Perhaps he was growing soft with age.

Of course, he would feel less anger for his lack of progress in his experiments if he was further along with the Horcruxes. He had no new ideas and had little chance to talk with the eldest Weasley. Bill had other duties with Gringotts and had to buckle down on those assignments as of late so they had not had an opportunity to compare notes. He was beginning to wonder if he should approach others with information on them. Horcruxes were utterly disgusting and few knew of them but he was acquainted with members of the infamous Black family. He needed to speak with Bill, and it needed to happen soon.

Most importantly, he needed to sort out Narcissa’s concerns about Albus’s health. He had not gone to Poppy immediately. Severus had felt that he needed to know a bit more about mental health issues tied to age in Wizards. 

Narcissa had been right, it wasn’t well known. He had searched the Hogwarts library first and had found nothing on the subject in any medical volumes. The Black library had been his next stop. They had a larger supply of healing texts but only one had any mention of age-related illnesses and it had only one chapter on mental disabilities. Finally, he had spoken to a colleague who was also a healer. Healer Eastwick was actually a mind healer and had a lot to say on the subject.

Listening to the symptoms for various mental illnesses resulting from age had been interesting and frightening. He now agreed that Albus was, most likely, suffering from one. Healers had not actually named the illnesses per se. Mental illness in wizards was likened to mental illness in muggles despite their differences. Wizarding illness carried the same name as the one it most closely resembled in muggles; Severus assumed this was because a muggleborn Healer had been the one to present their findings on mental health degeneration. 

When muggles began losing their mental health, there was often a corresponding physical symptom; wizards did not lose their physical health when they carried a mental illness. A wizard’s magic supplemented their strength and healed physical wounds normally, it did the same when the mind deteriorated. 

He now had a theory as to what Albus might be suffering from, along with literature and observations to back his theory. It would be up to Poppy to decide and he wanted to have all of his information straight before he approached her. Which was what he was about to do.

Severus swept into the infirmary with his usual silent, yet aggressive, stride. Poppy was restocking the shelves with the potions he’d had a house elf deliver recently. Despite her back facing him, she knew he was there. He knew she kept a ward at the entrance to alert her of anyone entering. Wherever she was in the school, if someone entered the hospital wing, she would know.

“What can I do for you, Severus?” she turned to face him, closing the cabinet door securely.

“I have something I wish to discuss with you. Could we speak in your office?”

She raised an eyebrow. Normally, staff asked to speak to her in her office only during the school year, this prevented issues being broadcast to curious ears. Students would not be arriving for just over a week and a half so there should be no need for the privacy of her office. His request told her this was either something personal or about another member of staff. “Of course,” she waved toward the door, “Would you like tea?”

“If it wouldn’t trouble you.” He thought the tea might settle them. This discussion might not be entirely pleasing.

Poppy had one of the army of Hogwarts House Elves bring in some tea. “What can I do for you?”

Sighing, he began. “I was approached by a friend who was concerned about a member of staff’s actions of late. They were concerned that they might be suffering from an age-related illness because their most recent actions show a distinct lack of common sense and reasoning.”

“Does this have any correlation with the tournament? As far as I know, that was planned by the ministry.”

“It is an added concern to a long list of disturbing actions.”

“So it is Albus you and your friend are concerned about?”

“Yes.” He was not surprised she immediately saw who he was concerned about. This was Poppy. She would know instantly who would be qualified to be affected by age related illnesses and which of those might have done something concerning. “You see, Albus has allowed some absurd things to happen within these walls in the last few years and they do not suggest a man in control of all of his faculties.”

“How so?”

“The tournament for one. That may have been presented by the ministry but it was approved by all three headmasters. You saw how he was at that meeting. We all think that it is asinine that the tournament returns and we all believe Mister Potter will be at risk. You yourself said as much.” He took a sip of his tea. “Then there was the stone. Did you know that the protections were all simple enough for first years to complete?”

“I had to heal Mister Weasley when that chess set attacked him, Severus.”

“Well, the boy is a Gryffindor. He easily could have had one of them act as the king, reducing the possibility of harm significantly, and not sacrifice his own piece.” She could not argue with that. A Slytherin would have done just that. “The fact that the most dangerous was a troll was amusing considering the students who went down there had already taken out a mountain troll. Flying keys with brooms nearby and the best seeker in the school just happens to be Harry Potter. A logic puzzle for a first year who lives by logic.”

“Those were designed by you professors; if you wanted something more challenging you should have come up with better.”

“We didn’t. Albus asked us to prepare those specific things with different explanations as to why he needed them. We did not find out until after the fact that those were protecting the stone.”

“That is concerning.” She gestured for him to continue.

“Lockhart.” He didn’t think that one needed explaining.

“I will agree with that. I questioned the intelligence of his appointment when Mister Longbottom came to see me about sore ears because he was carried around by Cornish Pixies that scared the peacock of a man. The fact that he vanished the bones in Mister Potter’s arm was just the icing on the cake for me.”

“Sirius Black not having a trial. The many terrible Defense teachers. Not checking Hagrid’s lesson plans, Remus did of course but if he hadn’t…” He watched Poppy shiver at the thought. “The fact that Hermione Granger was the one to figure out that the petrifications were being caused by a Basilisk. There is more I could name but I truly do not want to burden you with that darkness.”

She sighed heavily. “I agree, looking back at all of that, there is definite evidence of loss of reasoning. I assume you think it is a form of Dementia. One focusing on the portion of the brain that deals in reasoning skills and common sense.”

“That was my thought. I know that no two mental illnesses are the same and that there is little information in the Wizarding world about them because of the rarity, but that seemed to fit best with what I was informed about.”

“I do keep abreast of the current research and advancements, just in case. I do not only deal with children after all.” She smirked looking at the man. He understood what she was saying, she was in charge of keeping the teaching staff healthy during the school year too. “There are tests I can perform to indicate if he is suffering from a mental illness brought on by age or not. Once I have an answer, I can see what options are open to us.”

“Will you have any trouble getting him to agree?”

“I have agreements with all professors that reside in these walls. If I have concerns, you are to agree to the examination, as you well know. You also know I do not take no for an answer, the headmaster is not allowed to say no anymore than you are.”

“Very well. If you are in need of assistance, I am at your disposal.” He stood. “If you will excuse me, I need to see if I can set up another few meetings.”

“Of course. Thank you for bringing your concerns to me.”

Severus nodded before sweeping out the door, his robes billowing in his wake once more.

**Gringotts**

Bill had been surprised by the owl from Severus, though he shouldn’t have been. They really did need to figure out how many Horcruxes there were and where the remaining ones were. He had been off the case for a while; with the trail cold, the Goblins had him working on other projects while Goblin Curse Breakers worked with what they had. 

Upon receiving the request to meet, he had gone to his boss and asked if the Goblin wished to speak with the Potions Master. Master Holgrind had requested a meeting for the following day. Severus had agreed to the meeting and the time suggested. 

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Master Holgrind, Mister Weasley. I feel we have been lax in our search since the discovery that Nott has retrieved a Horcrux. I fear there are more and I do not know where to look. I was hoping we could help me narrow it down to exactly how many so I can know how many locations I will need to think of.”

“We are in agreement, Potions Master Snape.” Holgrind liked the man because he did not insist upon niceties. Time wasted was money wasted after all. “Unfortunately, we cannot know the locations without knowledge of the maker.” He pulled a gold cup and a locket from his desk. Both were clearly old and clearly not Goblin made. “If there is a Horcrux near another they will react to one another.”

“We don’t allow those searching to carry active Horcruxes around because of what they can do to the one carrying it.” Bill continued for the Goblin. “The darkness of a Horcrux will seep from the vessel and influence the mood of the one carrying it. There is nothing that can stop the vessel from affecting the individual. Certain containers will slow the reaction but eventually the carrier will still fall prey to the despair and paranoia. Any sort of proximity to the Horcrux can affect living beings.”

“This is part of the reason we Goblins destroy them almost immediately. The other reason is they are forbidden and it is written in our laws that they are to be disposed of in this time frame. A Goblin did try to create a tracker from one of his Horcruxes before destroying it but the malicious magic reacted to a number of different levels of dark magic. All it did was direct us to a number of contractual infractions within the bank. None of them were Horcruxes.”

“With no definitive way to locate a specific darkness with the Horcrux, it was destroyed.” Bill smiled slightly. “These are the Horcruxes we destroyed.” He lifted the locket, “This was found in Grimmauld Place, I believe you heard the story?” When Severus nodded, he continued. “With the taint removed, Gringotts wanted to return this but Sirius didn’t want it. It is a relic from Salazar Slytherin, Gringotts wants to gift it to Hogwarts.”

“The cup was removed from the vault of Bellatrix Lestrange.” The Goblin sneered. “She did not read her contract so she lost the entirety of the Lestrange fortune because she put it in her vault. This too is something we wish to give to Hogwarts. It is the cup of Hufflepuff.”

“On behalf of the school I will accept these gifts. We should plan for a presentation to the school; perhaps we should invite the press. Stronger ties between wizards and Goblins can only help the future.”

“Perhaps.”

“How many do you think he created?” Severus wanted the Goblin’s opinion.

“Based on the amount of soul placed in the cup versus the amount placed in the locket I would guess he created at least five. That would be six separate pieces of soul. Seven is a more magical number, I would assume that was his goal though I do not know if he succeeded.”

“How can you guess that based on the amount of soul in the vessels?”

“The Horcrux creation process halves the soul. Souls are all relatively the same size and we can measure the size; I cannot share the process of measuring the soul with you. Before we destroyed them, we measured the souls within to determine their size and estimate the number, if any, remaining. We always measure the soul, few have ever considered splitting the soul more than once but if they do create more than one Horcrux, we need to know how many. Unfortunately, we cannot be positive on the number as we never know if we receive the first or last. If we receive the first and the vault does not fall into limbo, then we know there is another. The Locket is a newer Horcrux so there is a smaller portion of soul within it than there is within the cup. We found the cup first and thought that there was perhaps one remaining at the time. The size within the cup indicated that three splits had occurred, the diary, the cup and one other. The locket suggests that there are five splits, adding a second unknown.”

“So, if he created six, completing what we both think was his goal, then there are three left, we do not know the location or vessel of any of these. I destroyed the diary, which I assume was the first as the man it showed was school aged. The locket and cup have also been destroyed. Nott has one and I assume he is attempting to resurrect his Lord with it.”

“If he succeeds, that would make the Horcrux used invalid. The soul piece would reside within the created body, not the vessel. It would be relatively easy to destroy it once it is in body form. The soul piece in that body would return to the ether where it belonged once destroyed as long as it was not joined by the shade of the original.”

“But,” Bill continued, “if it joins with the shade, that is still one less piece preventing the soul from dying as they would be combined and not in separate containers.”

“The headmaster and I believe that there is one within Hogwarts but have yet to locate it. I have an idea of who I might be able to speak with about other locations. If I find a possible location, is there a way to narrow down the possibilities? There is a chance there might be a number of rare artifacts if I do find it in Hogwarts. I do not wish to miss it.”

“It will feel dark. If you are close enough you should feel the maliciousness. Of course, it may also be cursed with charms to either attract or reject someone.”

Severus nodded at Bill. “So, I may have to get close to determine if an artifact contains one.”

“Yes. If you find a number of dark artifacts, the smartest idea might be to package them, preferably in individual led boxes, and deliver them here. Gringotts will dispose of them free of charge for you as you are actively working with Gringotts and it would be working to make children safer.”

“Thank you, Master Holgrind.” He took a deep breath. “I had a thought. I spoke about the snake, Nagini previously, what are the chances that he made a Horcrux out of his familiar?”

“I thought wizards valued their familiars.” This was said mostly to himself. “Of course, the splitting of the soul would remove a number of emotional responses and ties.” He paused a moment in thought. “There has never been a reported Horcrux within a living being. Mister Potter had something similar wedged in his scar but it was not actually a full Horcrux. Gringotts has a ritual for such a possibility, it aided in saving Mister Potter’s life. I suppose he could have created one to place within his familiar. If he did, it would be the easiest to destroy as flesh is much more vulnerable.” 

“I would also guess something from either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw.” Bill gestured toward the items on the desk. “With those and Dumbledore’s insistence that Hogwarts was important to him, it wouldn’t surprise me if the other vessels were founder’s items as well.”

“Most would not dream of destroying a founder’s item,” Severus agreed with the conclusion. “Thank you for agreeing to speak with me. I have some ideas now. I will be speaking to Black, Lupin and Potter about locations within the castle; they seem to know it better than most.”

“A good choice. I can talk to the twins.” Bill stood with Severus. “Shall Gringotts hold onto these until we can set up a presentation?”

“Yes. I will speak with the Headmaster and the other Heads. It may be challenging to arrange something with the tournament. I will see what I can do.”

The two wizards left the Goblin’s office. “Let me know if the twins have an idea.”

“I will. How is Harry dealing with the tournament approaching?”

“He seemed to take it better than the rest of them.”

“If you need any help with that, I am available. I would do just about anything for that kid.”

“I find myself feeling the same way, which surprises me more than I could possibly say.”

Bill shook his head as the man in black walked away, the crowd parting before him.

**Grimmauld Place**

The Wizengamot was old. While not as old as Hogwarts it did predate the ministry. It was created in a time when the people feared the Lords of the time. When heirs were assassinated so that lands could be taken from enemies. Deaths and betrayals nearly decimated their people. 

Eighteen of the oldest and strongest families of the time joined together to create a way to stop the killing, stop the destruction. Black, Peverell, Abbot, Prince, Potter, Rowle. Dark families, light families. Warriors and Aristocrats. The eighteen that assembled couldn’t be more different but they all believed that things needed to change. Thus, the Wizengamot was born. 

Since that time many more families had joined. Seats had been gifted and lost but the Founding still remained. When the courts were built, eighteen chairs rose high above the rest, whether they were claimed or not. The eighteen could not lose their seat, could not sell it. Sirius filled the fourteenth seat when he walked into the Wizengamot. Harry would fill the fifteenth when he was of age. Three seats remained empty. The Gaunt line died in Azkaban. The Peverell line was lost in name but remained in blood; someday, someone would come to claim it. The same could be said of the Prince line, though Sirius thought he knew a man qualified by blood and magic to take it, if only he could forgive himself long enough to claim his heritage. 

Things were changing. The changes were slow and miniscule, but considering the most recent past, they were profound. Narcissa had put forth an incredible plan to fix their society. It may not be his style, which he had to admit was all about the flash and shock value, but when they were done, her plan would work better than any he could have prepared.

Sirius was relieved he had his cousin at his side. He may have been raised to take their headship, something he was playing at now, but Narcissa had actually lived it, had actually studied it. She knew what everyone was thinking, often before they realized that was what they thought. They would sit in meetings, both formal and informal, and she would whisper where they would land on a topic. It amused him that they would talk and talk, making people think one thing, but in the end, they would always land where she said they would. 

Part of her plan was in his hands. Narcissa had insisted he be the face of their movement. He had wondered why at first. She was the pureblood princess. A Black that had thrived under the family doctrine; one who had married a Malfoy. She had lived in their world, actively presenting the traditions of their society. He, on the other hand, had purposefully flaunted his rebellion. In school he had flat out refused to date pureblood girls. He didn’t care about the old ways and had followed Albus’s band of vigilantes. They all knew it, and yet she chose him.

No one should ever question Narcissa. 

When he spoke, he lost himself. She had him speak at meetings they arranged and by the end, those they met with could see his point of view. He had convinced a number of people that caution and tolerance was preferable and he did it easily. Narcissa had explained it to him. Sirius had a natural charisma that radiated off of him. When he spoke about something he actually believed in, he nearly glowed. She said they could see his conviction, see his fear, his hope, his dreams. Sirius Black was a voice of inspiration. 

Now, months later, they had allies. Their position was known and neither side could refute their ideals. The dark families liked that they did not seek to do away with tradition while the light families completely agreed with their stance on tolerance. 

It was with the neutral families that they found their home though. At first, he had been insistent about following the light. Narcissa had convinced him that progress for the sake of progress was not what their society needed, what they needed was progress that honored the traditions of old. To appease the general populace, they needed to integrate both sides of the argument. 

Now that they had allies and things were more tolerable, it was time to make their move.

“Thank you all for coming. I felt we needed to discuss our future plans and what plans needed to be addressed immediately before the next Wizengamot session, which we all know is in two weeks’ time.”

“I couldn’t agree more, Sirius.” Silas Greengrass nodded. They had been asked to address the Blacks by their first names as both Sirius and Narcissa were very active in meetings. “With the activity over the summer I think we may need to put certain plans on hold and jump to others.”

“The World Cup situation was concerning.” Richard Bones, youngest of the Bones siblings and father of Susan Bones, added. “Amelia was furious. I got to listen to another hour-long rant about budget cuts and lack of staffing with a heavy dose of Crouch interference. If we focus on anything, that is what I would suggest.”

“I have been trying to get the budgeting changed for years.” Augusta Longbottom was perhaps the most outspoken member of their group. She had risen to the occasion recently, finding who she had once been before the tragedy that befell her days after the terrorist Voldemort fell. 

Heads nodded. Those who had been allied with the Longbottom matriarch had heard her call for budget reform for years with no answer. They hadn’t done anything about it because, until recently, the woman was not a lioness, she was a shadow of herself.

“You have brought us to what I wished to speak about,” Narcissa pulled attention back toward the meeting. “There have been some concerning activities in recent years and we believe that it indicates trouble in the future.”

“I know about the World Cup incident and the whole Greyback debacle, I assume those are on your list of concerning activities,” Maxwell Holden, the oldest of their group, started. “What else concerns you?”

“I might know.” Noel Fawley, the youngest of the group stepped in. “I assume Narcissa is speaking of the problems at Hogwarts. My sister is still at Hogwarts and I have heard some disturbing rumors coming from those walls.”

“We have all heard the rumors,” Charles Boot interjected. “But they are just rumors spread by children. Aren’t they?” 

“Don’t you have a son in my daughter’s year?” Silas Greengrass asked. Charles nodded. “Do you listen to him? I know my Daphne would not lie to me. She told me a great number of things that I find hard to swallow but know are the truth as far as she knows it. Some of the information is second hand but there is data to back it.”

“You can’t honestly believe that a professor tried to kill a student.”

“Daphne said the man had the most ridiculous stutter she had ever heard. If a man fakes his fear with a stutter and overly dramatic fainting, then he is hiding something. The man was no Slytherin.”

“Come now, there was no troll in Hogwarts.”

“Actually, there was. I’ve seen a memory of it.”

The group turned to Narcissa.

“Who did you get the memory from?” Augusta wanted to know if it could be trusted.

“Harry Potter for one. Hermione Granger has offered her memory as verification but I really only needed Severus Snape’s memory.”

“Snape is a criminal and Potter is a child. Neither can be trusted.” Holden sneered.

“Enough.” Sirius spoke, anger radiating. “I will say this now. Harry does not lie. Secondly, altered memories are not perfect so you can tell if there is a lie within them. I also had the story from Minerva and anyone who wants to question her honesty is welcome to, as long as I get to watch you do it.” He watched them cringe at the thought. Minerva McGonagall did not take well to people questioning her honesty. “The rumors out of Hogwarts are, I am sad to say, true. If you have a question about one, come to me and I can confirm or deny its validity. Now, let’s move on. 

“I want to create a society where my godson can be proud to be a member of our governing body. He will one day be a part of our numbers. I don’t want him to be a part of our current, corrupt government. What we currently allow is not acceptable. Unfortunately, I can’t get rid of all this garbage at once. I need to do it slowly so that I don’t offend those who think muggleborn children are inferior. I am also slowed by the growing darkness. There are things happening that terrify me because I live in a society that thinks my infant godson saved them all. What is going to happen when a similar darkness overwhelms us? Are they going to expect my now fourteen-year-old godson to save them again?” 

Sirius let that sink in. He could see he had their attention and they were all following his chain of thought. “We don’t have the policing force we need. The Aurors are spread thin and there aren’t nearly enough in training because there isn’t a budget in place to support more staff. Did you all know that the Transportation office has a higher budget than the Auror office? Don’t get me started on the Department for the Control of Magical Creatures. There isn’t an acceptable balance and we need to fix it before it is too late.”

“What we need to decide is how to approach this issue. We can’t allow the status quo to continue at the Ministry.” Narcissa stood and walked to the window, looking out at the sun washed back gardens. “I have spoken to the minister and mentioned my concerns. He agreed that the Auror forces are not what they should be. As of right now, I have his ear and he agrees with my position. I may not be able to keep his ear, as I refuse to pay for it, but I will support a properly run Ministry.”

“Is Fudge aware of your refusal to buy him?” Silas was well aware of her former husband’s relationship with the Minister. 

“I did not spell it out to him but I did infer that I was not a Malfoy in name or action.”

“What are we proposing? I know a good portion of the light families will support this if we present it responsibly. I can speak to Sebastian Macmillan; he leads the light and he and I have a good working relationship.”

“Thank you, Augusta. Silas, what will the dark families do?”

“It will depend on how deeply they are tied to Malfoy or Nott. Malfoy throws his money about and is very anti Auror, mostly because of all the raids on his home. Nott is more open minded in terms of Ministerial budgeting. He has questioned the intelligence of crippling our policing body. Malfoy had more pull until your divorce, now they are about even. Malfoy will disagree with it on principle. Nott will be more amenable to it but how he looks on it will also be affected by who presents it.”

“I was thinking you should present the request to the body,” Narcissa smiled at the man. “We could also go with Rowle or Tripe. Carstairs Rowle will probably have a better chance of pulling some of the darker families though. Isabella Tripe, while a member of a Founding family, and a Family that isn’t strictly patriarchal, will still have trouble with some because she is female.”

“I will present; I am less objectionable than Carstairs for most. It would be best if someone a bit lighter than myself seconded, however. They should also be of the Founding.”

“I will second,” Augusta agreed. “Though if we word this correctly, Benjamin Abbot may find his feet faster than I will.”

“She’s right. Ben has always been a supporter of the Auror Office. He was crushed when my brother Edger died.” The Bones family had always been close to the Abbot family. Richard was rather close with Benjamin and knew his leanings well. Benjamin was not allied with them only because he would not allow himself to be subjected to Greengrass or Black.

Perhaps with this, the Wizengamot could finally work for the people.

**Hogwarts – Headmaster’s Office**

Poppy, Severus and Minerva sat in the Headmaster’s office facing Albus. The mood was grave. None felt at ease about what they needed to discuss. 

It seemed that Narcissa Black’s fears about the Headmaster of Hogwarts were not unfounded. Poppy had put him through a number of tests to see if he was showing any of the early signs of an age-related illness. The last, and perhaps most important test, was performing Legilimency on the patient. She wasn’t an accomplished Legilimens but she was good enough for this test. Albus Dumbledore, man of many names, responsibilities and titles, was in the early stages of Dementia. 

“What can we do, Poppy?”

The healer looked to her friend. The Transfiguration Mistress was worried. “There are ways to slow the progress, potions and mental exercises, but I can’t stop this. Albus, you will slowly get worse. You probably don’t even realize you aren’t functioning at full capacity but you will. We are lucky to have caught it so early. Most don’t see the symptoms this quickly because they don’t even know to look for them.”

The old man for the first time looked old. His eyes had lost a bit of that twinkle that defined him. “I had been a bit concerned about a few things. It seemed like I had missed a few things. What do you need me to do?”

Poppy smiled sadly. “I will give you a list of potions you will need to take daily, one of us will check in with you or I can have a house elf collect the vials so we know you are actually taking them. Severus has already started brewing and he informed me he plans to start looking into the formulas to see if he can improve them.” She pulled a sheet of parchment from her robes and handed it over. “These are the exercises you will need to do daily. I would like to meet with you at least once a week to monitor you. Once I understand your case better, we can reevaluate that but for now I will need weekly evaluations.”

“What of my work?”

The healer could see the fear in his eyes. “You are going to need to cut back. I want you to focus on one of your many responsibilities. I would prefer if you focused on the school but will understand if you choose something else.”

“No. The students need me more than the adults. I will speak to the ICW leaders about my replacement for both Supreme Mugwump and the British representative to the council. I will announce my retirement at the next Wizengamot meeting and put forth my recommendation for my replacement.”

“Good. I would also like to suggest that you work with Minerva more. If you can train her or one of the other heads to take on more it might help.”

“I thought I would speak to Filius and Pomona about helping with the Deputy position. I think Pomona will choose to stay as she is and focus on the greenhouses but I will give them the options. If you would allow it, I would also like to speak with Remus about helping with the Gryffindors. If we are to run this school smoothly, I think it would be best to share the load. I want to be available should you need me and right now, with Teaching, my lions and being Deputy, I am quite busy.”

Albus sighed. He did not want to give up any responsibilities. Hogwarts was his life. Sharing the load may help him stay longer and it could prevent mistakes; there had been enough. If Minerva had been at those Triwizard meetings, she may have stopped it from happening; he was beginning to fear his teachers had been right on that count. “It would be good training for you, my dear.” He smiled slightly at his Deputy. “Training one of the other Heads to take over after you is the only logical decision. Remus would be a good replacement for Head of Gryffindor as well.”

“Thank you, Albus,” Minerva gave him a sad smile. She didn’t want him to have to give anything up but she was relieved he was willing to when it was needed.

“I will be doing what I can to make this work for you, Albus. I just need you to work with me.” Poppy rose and pulled the potion list from her robes. “If you have any questions about what to take, don’t hesitate to fire call me.”

Severus waited for the two witches to leave the office. “Albus, I am sorry to have brought this on you.” He raised a hand to stop the man from speaking. “I was the one who approached Poppy about the concerns. I will do everything I can to improve the potions to slow the progress. I will also be putting more effort into bringing Him down. Bill, the Goblins and I have a plan and some ideas as to the locations of the remaining vessels. I hope to have the one in Hogwarts soon.”

Albus stood and walked to the wall of portraits behind his desk. He flicked his wand and one of the portraits swung away from the wall revealing a hidden compartment. The old man pulled a stack of papers from the cache and placed it on his desk. A second flick of his wand had the papers copied so that there were two identical piles on the desk. The original went back into the wall compartment, the copies he handed to Severus. 

“These are all of my notes on Tom and his Horcruxes. I have some theories I wanted to spend more time trying to verify. I think you will have a better time of it than I would have, considering…” He left that hanging. “I am entrusting this to you because you would never let the children save us without trying everything in your arsenal first. That is what we need right now.”

The Potions Master did not know what to say. For him, there really was nothing to say. He picked up the files, shared a long look with his boss and friend before sweeping silently from the room. They would ignore Albus’s condition until they had to speak of it again. It was easier for them to focus on the battles they feared lay ahead if that was not hanging over them. They needed to end the war before it fell on the hands of children.


	25. Welcome To Hogwarts

**Great Hall – Breakfast**

Harry slumped into his seat at the Gryffindor table. Despite their active summer, he had been ridiculously out of shape at the beginning of the year. He glanced toward the twins to see them drooping in their oatmeal, it wouldn’t surprise him if one of them fell asleep in the bowl. They had all done it before. All of the students chosen for the school teams were exhausted. Wood and Flint were working them hard. They were just starting to get used to their grueling schedule. Between classes, homework and practices they didn’t have time for much else.

All in all, Harry was pleased with the choices. Most players were from the former house teams and those who hadn’t played before were quite good. They had yet to field the actual teams as they were experimenting with the line ups. The only thing they did know was the seeker placement. Harry and Cedric were the starting seekers. Due to Cedric’s plan to enter the tournament, and his decision to quit the team if he was chosen, Draco would be his alternate, while Cho would be Harry’s. Harry was pleased with the arrangement. He thought Draco was the stronger flier and he thought Cedric had a good chance of becoming the Hogwarts Champion.

Harry had requested to speak to Wood and Flint after the first practice; Draco and the twins had stayed to support him. They had explained their suspicions about Harry possibly being entered in the tournament. Oliver had instantly gotten it. He had started swearing, cursing magic for leaving him with Cho as his starting seeker. Harry had quickly assured him he had no plans to quit. 

Flint had looked reflective. A part of him didn’t want to believe what they students were saying but he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were right. “You’re sure you can handle both?” He had asked after listening to them reassure Wood.

Harry had answered honestly. “No, but I am not going to let someone ruin my life. I want to play quidditch against the foreign teams. It will be a new experience and after the World Cup I started to seriously consider playing professionally. I can’t take a year off if I am going to go professional.”

His answer was perhaps the quickest way to earn Marcus Flint’s support. If there was one thing he understood, it was working hard for a chance at going pro.

Madam Hooch had, of course, been at the staff meeting where Professor Snape warned the staff of his suspicions so she was not surprised. The only thing she asked was that they keep their suspicions away from the rest of the team. She felt there was no need to worry anyone if it turned out they were wrong.

So, Harry and the other quidditch diehards had been pushed. Wood had insisted on improving their physicality; apparently Puddlemere insisted on their players working out for an hour a day outside of general practices. The coaches had decided that they would adopt this system because of the success Oliver was having with it.

It was the third Friday of October, one week before the foreign students arrived and one day before the first match of the quidditch tournament. The first game for all three schools would be played at their respective schools. This was because the first game would be a match between their two teams. It was like a practice match but the winner would have a point added to their overall standings in the tournament.

The players had been announced the day after the tryout. They’d had two-hour practices every day after classes the first week. These had been designed to get the students acquainted with their new equipment. The makers of the Firebolt and Fireblast had struck again. They had decided to sponsor the inter-school quidditch competition. Each player was given a Fireblast. They had an additional deal with Quality Quidditch. Firebolt bought new armor and beaters bats from the store for all players. The only thing the kids had to do was give an honest review detailing their experience and thoughts on the broom. Each player would get to keep the broom and custom equipment. 

Harry had felt funny about getting to keep the broom. He already had a free Fireblast, he didn’t need a second. Madam Hooch spoke to the representative from Firebolt and they decided that Harry would auction off one of the brooms. Proceeds of the sale would go to a charity benefiting children. Harry had jumped at the idea and had instantly written Narcissa to ask what charity he should donate to. Cedric had asked if he could do the same with his second Fireblast. The Firebolt rep had been ecstatic. They would be auctioning the brooms off after the first game. 

The first Saturday practice had been their first day of torture. Push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, and laps. By the end of the first hour of practice, most players were physically done. Then Madam Hooch had gleefully introduced weight training. Of course, they couldn’t leave because they still hadn’t done any flying and they still needed to determine the actual team line-ups.

At the end of their long Saturday practice they were informed they were required to meet every morning, before breakfast, to do their morning warm up. They would continue their daily practices for the time being; two hours after classes Monday through Friday, a five-hour practice on Saturday and a two-hour practice on Sunday. There would be additional practices for individual positions as needed.

Now, more than a month later, they were still unsure of the exact line-ups. Madam Hooch, Flint and Wood had decided they would pick the teams the day before the match, that very night. This would ensure that the players worked well with everyone and were adaptable. That said, the alternates knew they were alternates from day one. 

Hermione rubbed Harry’s back. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m okay. It would be better if I hadn’t stayed up so late finishing homework but it was necessary so I can’t complain too much. Leave it to Professor Snape to give a two-foot essay on ingredient reactions while Madam Hooch is trying to kill us. It would be extremely helpful if the teachers stopped burying us in homework. The homework, paired with the excessive practice schedule is really tiring me out.”

“Wood and Flint said the practice schedule would lighten up after the first match. I think you said it would drop to three nights after school, the same practice on Saturday and Sunday would just be positional practices. It will get better.”

“I know. I’m just tired. How is Neville doing with his research?” 

Neville had been chosen for the Herbology team. He was actually the lead for the pair. 

“He is doing great. I think being chosen, and you telling him to stop questioning himself, has really brought him into his own. He was better last year, but this year I think Neville is really going to surprise the school.”

“And how are you doing?”

“I am enjoying myself. I understand why I wasn’t chosen for a team. I am a great student overall and I read ahead because I get bored if I don’t, but I was not prepared to handle being three years ahead of my year. Professor Babbling was right not to pick me. My practical work may have been superb and nearly on par with the other candidates but my knowledge base just wasn’t there; I have Remus to thank for that. I am honored that she asked me to help with quizzing and research. I love that I get to help and that I am not a detriment to the school’s chances of winning.” 

“Speaking of research, how is your research into the past Triwizard tournaments going?”

Hermione had wallowed for a few days after they were told about the tournament. After that, she had dived right into research mode. She had explained that the best way to prepare was to research past tournaments. They may be changing a few rules to make it safer but the organizers would have to look at past tournaments to plan this one as there were no living witnesses of the previous tournaments.

“Better. After coming up with basically nothing in the library I contacted aunt Narcissa. She sent me some books from the Black library. Those have some great information.”

“Anything we should be concerned about?”

“Traditionally, there are three events but there have been tournaments with additional events for the champions, apparently that depends on the Headmasters. One event almost always has the contestants facing off with a dangerous creature. They don’t have to defeat it, as all those creatures generally require a group of highly trained wizards to contain, but they do have to get in the ring with it. Sometimes you have to get past the creature, other times you have to retrieve something the creature is guarding.”

“Is any creature more likely than the others?”

Hermione smiled; he knew her too well. “I have been keeping a tally. I have to assume they won’t be bringing in the most dangerous, and by that, I mean the ones who caused the most deaths in the past. You won’t be facing a cockatrice, as that one killed all of the contestants, a portion of the audience and two Headmasters when it was chosen. They also won’t choose a Nundu or a Basilisk. It is a toss-up which is more dangerous with those two which says something because a Basilisk can kill you with eye contact.” Harry made a mental note to never go looking for a Nundu. 

“Considering what we know the school has access to, I would hazard a guess that they would use a Cerberus, but if you get chosen that is rather stupid as you know how to calm Fluffy. There are also the spiders in the Acromantula den in the forest. Facing one would be fairly easy, all you need to do is flip it on its back, but facing a dozen would be challenging, which is why they are so dangerous. Where there is one there is a hundred. The most likely creatures, in my opinion, are Manticores, Griffins, Chimeras, Runespoors or Dragons.”

“Fun.”

“Unfortunately for you, I think the possibility for the Runespoor is the lowest.”

“That would be far too easy for a Parselmouth.”

“I did see a few competitions where they brought in a Lethifold, but with the current ministry I find that one highly unlikely.”

“It’s no wonder so many contestants died if they are pulling from the XXXXX list. Who in their right mind pitches students against known man-killers? What else concerns you?”

Hermione bit her lip. “In every single competition on record, they took hostages for one competition.”

“What kind of hostages?”

“Traditionally they are family or close friends of the champions.”

“So it is very likely that at some point this year you are going to be held hostage during one of the competitions?”

“Yes.”

“What is the mortality rate for the hostages?”

“Not as bad as the mortality rate for the contestants.”

“Brilliant. Remind me to kill whoever gets me picked as a contestant.”

Hermione just smiled at him ruefully. “Enough of this. Finish your breakfast so we can get to potions.”

“Alright. How are you liking working with Goyle?”

Professor Snape had decided to shake things up. He had assigned partners for potions this year. The best students were paired with the worst students. Hermione and Draco, the best in the class, were paired with the worst in the class, Crabbe and Goyle. Neville had been paired with Greengrass. Harry was paired with Zabini. Lavender, who was rather good at potions, was overjoyed to be paired with Ron. Fay and Theo Nott were a good pairing so far.

“It’s going alright. Goyle isn’t a horrible student, he is just slow. He gets panicked when he realizes he is behind the class which causes him to miss steps. I mostly just keep him focused and working smartly. We start the brewing session reading through the recipe so he knows which steps will take time and which ones will require him to move quickly. I think the situation with his father has really affected him too. He has been very respectful. How is working with Zabini?”

“He is hilarious. Really sarcastic. Neither of us is a potions genius but we work well together and turn in E level potions most of the time.”

“I love that you don’t dread that class now. And because you no longer dread it, that means we can head to class sooner.”

Harry shook his head at his girlfriend’s hint. They had potions that morning and she didn’t like to show up for class on time, she needed to be early. “Neville, are you ready to go?” Harry called down the table. Neville looked up from his Herbology text and nodded. 

“Yeah, let’s head to the dungeons.”

**Quidditch Pitch**

“Welcome Hogwarts students and parents to the first quidditch game of the year! I am Lee Jordan and I am sad to say this is the only game I will be announcing this year. I have been informed by McGonagall that the former professional keeper of the Wimbourne Wasps, Ludo Bagman, will be taking my job once the actual tournament begins. Feel free to protest loudly.”

“Jordan, do you remember me telling you that this game was being watched by more than just the school? Did I not tell you it was being broadcast over the Wireless? There are parents, Ministry officials and members of the press here.” Professor McGonagall growled. She had hoped the ‘colorful’ commentary would disappear due to the fact that there were no house teams. Apparently, she had been wrong. Now she was very afraid of how he would announce the individual teams.

“Sorry, I meant Professor McGonagall. That was rude of me, I will attempt to curb my tongue but you know how I am.” As usual, their conversation was heard by all as neither thought about the fact that the booth mic was under a Sonorous Charm. “Anyway, on with the festivities. I have just been handed the team rosters. Thank you, Professor. Our teams will be wearing either Black or white. You will be able to spot your house's players by looking at the border around the crest on the front of their jersey, it will be outlined in your houses’ primary color.” He paused in reading the sheet of parchment. “Do I really have to read all of this?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, okay. I just thought it was kind of boring. Moving on. Hogwarts would like to thank the makers of the Fireblast for providing the brooms used in the tournament games. Every player will be using the Fireblast to even the playing field. Firebolt and Quality Quidditch Supplies are also responsible for all of the new equipment your players will be using throughout the tournament.

“Now for your teams. In the white jerseys we have the Griffins. Yes, the teams named themselves. The Griffins are being coached by Gryffindor’s former Keeper, and the best keeper in recent years, Oliver Wood!” A cheer had gone up as Oliver had flown onto the field waving at the students. “Oliver has joined the Puddlemere United team. The captain of the Griffins is Ravenclaw’s very own, Roger Davis. Joining him on the chaser line are Tamsin Applebee and Malcolm Preece of Hufflepuff. Grant Page of Ravenclaw will be playing keeper.” The players flew out onto the field as their names were called. “Taking the field as beaters we have the terrible two, Gryffindor’s own, Fred and George Weasley. Oh, look at that. Their first initial is on the back this time. I can actually tell which is which if their backs are to me. Cool.”

“Jordan.”

“And finally, the assistant captain, the youngest seeker in a century, your very own Gryffindor golden boy, the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter.” The crowd cheered. “I know what you are all thinking, ‘where are the Slytherins?’ Well, fear not, here they are. From Slytherin house, we have the reserve chaser, Theo Nott, reserve keeper Miles Bletchley and reserve beater Micah Wilkinson. The reserve seeker is the lovely Cho Chang of Ravenclaw.”

The players had lined up, in midair, in the center of the field. At some unseen signal, they dispersed flying around the stadium showing off their skills. 

“In the black jerseys, we have the Basilisks. Yes, they went with Basilisks, tell me, is it too soon?” Lee laughed lightly. “The Basilisks are under the control of the former Slytherin captain, Marcus Flint. Marcus was signed to the Falcons this summer. The captain for this team is their keeper, Hufflepuff’s Herbert Fleet. Flying at chaser, from Gryffindor, we have the lovely Alicia Spinet and Katie Bell. Joining them is Slytherin’s Joshua Vaisey. Vaisey is also the assistant captain. The beaters are Ravenclaw’s Duncan Inglebee and Slytherin’s Seth Lomax. Finally, playing seeker is the Hufflepuff heartthrob, Cedric Diggory!”

“Jordan…” Professor McGonagall was drowned out by the crowd.

“The reserves are Gryffindor's youngest Weasley, Ginny at chaser and Cormac McLagan at keeper. Anthony Rickett of Hufflepuff will be the reserve beater and Slytherin’s Draco Malf… I mean Black is the reserve seeker for the Basilisks, sorry Black.

“And now for a word from our sponsors.” Lee sounded amused with that statement.

“Hello, Hogwarts. My name is Randolph Spudmore, creator of the Firebolt. I was approached by young Harry Potter about his Fireblast. You see, Mister Potter and Mister Diggory had already received our Fireblast broom during a contest over the summer and they didn’t think it was right to receive a second. Well, we came up with a solution that we could all agree with. Listen up ladies and gentlemen you may want to hear this. After the game today, we will be auctioning off the brooms flow by the two seekers to the highest bidder. The proceeds will go to a new charity, Evans House. To tell you all a little about Evans House, we have the founder and Director, Narcissa Black.”

Harry and Cedric had flown to the announcer’s box and were now standing with Spudmore and Narcissa. 

“Good Afternoon, Hogwarts students and honored guests. Many of you know me and many of you claim to know the young man standing next to me.” She placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. What few realize is that he is one of many children who lost their family due to violence. There are many children here who lost a mother, a father, brothers, sisters. Some have lost everyone. Harry contacted me about the idea of donating the proceeds of his auctioned broom to a children’s charity. We looked into it and couldn’t find one that fit us. It is sad, but there are very few that actively help children in need in Britain and Harry’s desire was to help orphaned children like himself. 

“His godfather and I decided that we would give him his wish. Sirius Black and I started Evans House. Evans House’s main goal is to aid in the placement and care of children orphaned in the wizarding world, whether that be through supporting their remaining family or finding a wizarding family that will take them in. It is our belief that no child should go without love when they lose their family. In fact, don’t you think children who have lost their parents deserve more love?”

“There you have it.” Spudmore continued. “We are auctioning these brooms for a good cause so please stick around after the game.”

Cedric glanced at the younger seeker as they walked away from the booth. “Your family started the charity?”

Harry shrugged. “I didn’t want to donate money to charities put in place to fund pureblood children going to Hogwarts. There are four charities set up to help underprivileged pureblood children, none of them will aid halfblood or muggleborn children.”

“Seriously?”

“Yup. Aunt Narcissa was furious when she realized she had been donating to charities that actively support kids who don’t actually need the support.”

“Didn’t she research the charities before?”

“Malfoy fed her falsified data so she wouldn’t know that he was having her donate to charities that gave money to families like the Goyle family or to Warrington’s cousin. Goyle would get money because his father is in Azkaban, despite the fact that they can easily pay for school. Delilah Lowenstein lost her parents to a magical disease when she was eight, one of the charities would pay for all of her expenses even though her parents set up provisions to care for her and she went to live with the Warrington family. Those kids don’t need help the way other kids do. Don’t get me wrong, I feel terrible for them, they just aren’t underprivileged.” 

“So, Evans House. Why not Potter House?”

“She named it after my mum.” Cedric blinked. “I didn’t want people to associate it with me. It isn’t about me. The charity is for children that are orphaned or families that lose one parent and are in need of help. Aunt Narcissa named it for my mom, who was Lily Evans before she married my dad, because she is the reason I am alive.”

“You know, Harry, you make the rest of us look bad.” Cedric smiled. “I want to be like you when I grow up.”

“You’re older than I am.”

“Yeah, I am, but I didn’t even think about the fact that I already had a Fireblast when Madam Hooch told us about it. You did. You were the one who said the proceeds should go to a children’s charity. When you didn’t find one you liked, you started one. You are an amazing kid, Harry.”

“Sirius and Narcissa started the charity.”

“They did it because it was what you wanted, so you basically started it.” Cedric extended his hand and they shared a serious handshake. “Now, let’s go out there and fly a great game so these rich people spend ridiculous amounts of money on these brooms.”

“Okay. Hermione said we should sign them in front of the crowd right before the auction. We are hoping they will be bought by parents who will give them to their kids. If we sign them, it will be a good memory for the kids who use them”

“Which makes your broom priceless.” He smirked. “I definitely hope I grow up to be more like you kid.”

….

It was an amazingly balanced game. Madam Hooch, the coaches and the teams bandied lineups back and forth for a few hours before coming to a decision. Their goal was to have two high quality teams; not one superb team and one mediocre team. They were quite pleased with what they ended up with. 

Amazingly, they were all but even, up until the end that is. The chaser lines were fairly even. Alicia and Katie were a better team than Tamsin Applebee and Malcolm Preece but Roger Davis was a stronger center than Joshua Vaisey. Still, the Basilisk line seemed to be slightly better than the Griffin line. Of course, the Griffins had the Weasley twins.

The Weasley twins were phenomenal together. They out performed Inglebee and Lomax which evened out the chaser lines even more as they were better at play disruption. The hardest decision for the coaching staff was whether or not to split up the Weasley twins. Everyone was pleased with the decision in the end. 

The game was essentially even the entire day. The largest lead was four goals up and it never lasted long. The Basilisks were ahead more often than the Griffins but the Griffins had disturbed more plays than the Basilisks.

The keepers were fairly even as well. Page and Fleet had similar records in previous seasons and had nearly identical stats for the game, Fleet’s numbers were only slightly better. Fleet was a little weak on the left hoop while Page was weaker on the right hoop. 

The seekers were the deciding factor in this game. Harry and Cedric had both been working tirelessly. Madam Hooch had been pushing them to learn complicated plays and feints. She really wanted them to be able to perform and spot a Wronski Feint. They were also trained to aid in disrupting plays. When the opposing chaser line got a breakaway, the seeker would fly through the field of play, cutting off passing lines and startling the player in possession of the quaffle.

It turned out to be a long game. The snitch didn’t make many appearances and those it did make were extremely short. After an hour and a half, the reserves were brought in for about half an hour to give the starters a break. The chasers and beaters sat for fifteen minutes a piece while Harry and Cedric took a half-hour break. The score was tied at 280 apiece, when the seekers started an all-out battle to end the three-hour game. 

Cedric actually saw it first. Harry had just dived through the field of play, causing Tamsin to fumble the quaffle, when it appeared near the Basilisk keeper. The sixth-year just happened to be facing that way when it showed so he pushed his broom to the limit and sped after the allusive gold ball.

Harry had a sixth sense when it came to the snitch. Those watching his progress through the field of play were shocked when he suddenly changed direction. In the middle of his dive he flipped and rolled so he was going the other direction, across the length of the field toward the opposing team’s keeper. 

Cedric was closer, but the snitch was determined. 

The little winged ball shot toward the stands, aiming for the Slytherin banners, which just so happened to be in between its pursuers. Both seekers lay low to their brooms to reduce wind resistance. Had the snitch not zoomed toward the grassy field below, the two would have collided; instead, they each angled their brooms into steep dives to follow. 

Their broom handles were completely aligned when they pulled out of the dive to skim the field, still following the fleeing ball. 

Cedric glanced at Harry, knowing the younger boy would get the snitch, but he wasn’t giving up. He was surprised to see Harry grinning so widely it almost looked as though he was laughing. The older boy felt a small smile spread across his face, how could he not when he was flying with a boy who lost all the stresses of life while flying like a mad-man?

Suddenly, the snitch shot up and then flew over their heads, just out of reach of Cedric’s reaching hand. Harry did not reach. Instead, he followed the snitches path; shooting up then falling back to race the complete opposite direction. He did that completely upside down, still grinning and now actively laughing.

Cedric Diggory had just completed his wider turn when he saw Harry reach out and snatch the little ball from the air. 

What he would remember most from that day was not losing. It also wasn’t the look of joy and peace on Harry’s face. No, what he would remember was that every single person was cheering. The Griffin team was elated. The Basilisks were hyped for a great season. Most of all, the crowd was in a state of euphoria. They did not have winners and losers, they had two great teams who played a great game. This was what quidditch was all about. 

That and watching Oliver Wood dance around like a crazy person because he was so happy.

….

“Thank you for sticking around while the students head to their respective after parties.” Randolph Spudmore smiled at the remaining crowd. For the most part it was comprised of parents and Ministry officials. Some of the students remained, they either stood with family or sat with friends. 

“I have to say, as the developer and one of the founders of the Firebolt Company, that that was a fantastic game. You should be proud of your students, they are a talented and dedicated group.” The teams stood behind him along a quickly conjured stage. He turned toward them, “You all do your school proud. Now, Mister Diggory, if you would,” he gestured toward the table standing next to him. They had discussed it and everyone agreed that Harry’s broom should be auctioned second whether he won or not. The Boy-Who-Lived would always be a bigger draw.

Cedric stepped forward, pulling his wand from the holster strapped to his leg; he never flew with it strapped to his wrist. Cedric laid the broom on the table and, muttering a spell that Harry told him about, he painted his signature on the broom’s handle. It wouldn’t make it worth any more, but he hoped one day it said something. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, you just witnessed it, I will be auctioning off a signed Fireblast, used by Cedric Diggory of Hogwarts. Let’s start the bidding at…”

The gathered crowd bid on the broom. Cedric heard his father make a bid and heard Cho’s father bid as well. He was surprised at the number of people willing to bid on him when Harry Potter was waiting in the wings. In the end, his broom went to Benjamin Abbott, father of Hannah and Liam Abbott. He assumed the man got the broom for his son, who followed Cedric around like an affectionate puppy. The kid was a first year and idolized the sixth year Prefect. 

“Thank you all for bidding. Now, for the broom that won the game.” Harry stepped forward and followed Cedric’s actions and signed his name to the broom, painting it in gold as neatly as he could. “Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a broom signed by Hogwarts seeker, Harry Potter! Who wants to start the bidding?”

Harry stood back and watched. It was completely different from the bidding on Cedric’s broom. He supposed he should have expected that. Even if they didn’t mention the thing he was known for, it would play a part in this. 

They were frantic. Bids being thrown out the second the previous person stopped talking. One by one the bidders dropped out of the war. By the time it was down to three people, they had more than tripled the price Cedric’s broom went for. Harry was rooting for a man in his forties, his son stood at his side, vibrating with excitement despite how pale he was. 

The man with the salivating teenage daughter dropped out quickly. Then it was down to the smirking man Harry thought looked like a friend of Lucius Malfoy and the man with the kid. They battled back and forth, raising the price of a broom to nearly ten times what it actually cost. 

When the snooty man scowled, Harry almost cheered. The broom went to the little boy. 

“Thank you all for bidding. Firebolt and Evans House would like to thank you for your generosity. Would the winners please come and collect your possessions? For the rest of you, thank you for coming and remember Firebolt for all of your flying needs!”

The quidditch teams were waiting around one end of the pitch, standing under the hoops. Harry and Cedric held their newly auctioned off brooms. Madam Hooch and Narcissa led the winners and a few members of the press over. The press representatives had already spoken to Narcissa and Spudmore. Narcissa had refused to let the press speak with either student, this was not about quidditch or Harry, it was about the children in need. The men who bid smiled kindly while their sons walked at their sides with barely contained excitement. 

“Alright,” the photographer from the Prophet took charge. “We want some pictures for the papers, first let’s get one of Mister Diggory handing off his broom.”

They got dozens for pictures. Cedric handing the broom to a beaming Liam Abbot. Harry handed his broom to Brendan Hope, the little boy, while his father stood behind him. Pictures of the teams with the buyers. Pictures of Narcissa and the fathers shaking hands. 

The picture that would appear on the front of the Prophet the next day was of Harry and little Brendan. It was a lucky shot; Brendan had just handed the broom to his father. The boy turned back to Harry and threw himself at the fourteen-year-old. Readers would smile at the picture of Harry Potter picking the six-year-old boy up and hugging him tightly.

**Hogwarts Grounds**

“Why do we have to stand out here?”

“Because the students from the visiting schools will be here soon and we need to welcome them,” Hermione explained to Lavender for the tenth time in about five minutes.

“Yes, but why do we have to ALL be out here. Couldn’t we just have the seventh years do this, or better yet, the Prefects.” Parvati added her opinion while shivering. “I’m from India, it is always warm in India.”

“You have lived in Britain for years. You said your family moved here when you were eight. You should be used to the cold by now, and it isn’t that cold. Perform a warming charm if you're cold. Just be glad it isn’t raining.”

“Don’t say the word rain, Fay!” Lavender gasped. 

“If you say ‘rain’ it will start to rain.” Parvati agreed.

“That isn’t how it works.”

“We know that Hermione, but Harry is standing here.”

“What do I have to do with anything?”

“Well,” Lavender grinned slightly, “no offense, but you have horrible luck.”

“So, we figured that if something could go wrong, like it starting to rain, then it would most likely happen when you are around.”

The green-eyed boy frowned. “Thanks for the support…”

“You know; they are kind of right.”

“Ron…”

“No, Hermione, they are kind of right. Harry really does have horrible luck, but it usually isn’t for stuff like this. If there is a way for him to get hurt, he’s going to get hurt. Just standing here like this, he will be completely fine.”

“I don’t know if I should thank you or not.”

Ron just grinned before going back to a conversation with Dean and Seamus.

Hermione leaned into Harry’s side, attempting not to laugh. She loved how free her year-mates were with each other. “How is little Brendan?”

After the auction the previous week, Harry had talked to Luke Hope, the man who won the final bid on his broom, and his son Brendan. Harry had felt the need to thank the man for bidding as much as he had because of how much money he spent. Luke had explained he felt Evans House was worth it.

Both Luke and Brendan were orphans. Luke had been orphaned at sixteen. His mother died when he was three from an accident at work, his father from illness. Luke had gone to live with his best friend until he was able to live on his own. Brendan, at six, had no memory of his parents. They had died when Brendan was about a year old while out on a date. They had insisted on going the muggle way, using the car. It had been raining, visibility terrible. When a drunk driver ran a red-light, Brendan’s father had tried to stop but with the slick roads he had just swerved and they were hit. The car had rolled a few times, ending up on its top. They had died at the scene while the drunk driver had walked away with barely a scratch.

Brendan’s father had been Luke’s best friend. Luke and his wife had adopted Brendan to honor his friend and because he was the boy’s godfather. Life hadn’t been easy, as Brendan had a laundry list of health issues but they were family.

Brendan had been so excited. He was a big quidditch fan and wanted to play seeker someday. They lived in Hogsmeade and came to a lot of the games so Brendan was close to home but still got to watch a live game. The kid really loved watching Harry’s games. Harry had ended up telling the kid to owl him any time. He had received two owls so far.

“Luke took him for a quick fly on the broom the other day. He said it was the best fly of his life. Then he had Luke mount my broom on the wall over his bed, making sure my signature was visible.” Harry blushed a bit at that. “He really likes Hedwig; says she is the most beautiful owl in the world. Bren, he told me to call him Bren, wants a dog but would settle for a cat. He is excited to learn his numbers and wishes he was better at writing letters.”

“You are an amazing person, Harry Potter.” 

He looked down at her, “He is a good kid. All he wants is someone to talk to.”

“And that is why you are a good person. Not many fourteen-year-old boys would agree to owl a kid nine years younger than he was.”

“Harry, what do you think that is?”

Harry looked in the direction Neville was pointing and blinked. “I have no idea but whatever it is, is big and probably carrying a bunch of students from a foreign school.”

“Is that a carriage?” Lavender guessed as it got closer.

“Being pulled by Abraxan?” Parvati added, guessing the breed of flying horse. 

“Looks like it.” Seamus grinned as the carriage drew nearer. 

The giant carriage landed extremely quietly considering its size. Hagrid directed the large, winged horses to a space between the greenhouses and the Forbidden forest. The carriage was large and opulent. The school’s crest was displayed on the side, announcing the arrival of the congregation from Beauxbatons Academy. 

The Prefects walked around their houses, quickly straightening the lines the students were standing in. They had been lined up on either side of the entryway, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor on one side, Slytherin and Ravenclaw on the other. They were lined up by year as well. First year students in the front and going back by year ending with the seventh years. The house Prefects stood on the ends to ensure the children behaved. 

They watched as the doors of the carriage opened and students in blue robes stepped out and started to walk quickly toward the school. The reason for the visitors’ fast pace became apparent as they passed; while it was not particularly cold for a Scottish autumn night, it would be freezing if you weren’t wearing the proper robes. Bringing up the rear, and the only one wearing a proper cloak, was the tallest woman any of them had seen. She was taller than Hagrid.

“Welcome, Madame Maxime and welcome students of Beauxbatons.”

“Thank you, Albus. Now, we do not wish to be rude but the weather in France is much warmer than here and my students are cold. Might we continue indoors?”

“Of course, Olympe. Minerva, please show the contingent from Beauxbatons to the Great Hall.”

“Of course, welcome students and teachers. If you will follow me.”

As they passed, a familiar blonde witch waved to Harry before rushing after her school mates.”

“Do you know her, Harry?” Lavender asked.

“We met at the World Cup. She got second place in the Firebolt Competition.”

“She also ended up at our tent during all of the craziness.” Neville added with a slight shiver. He got a bit nervous when the Death Eaters were mentioned.

“You will have to introduce us,” Parvati insisted. “I would love to know what products she uses in her hair to give it that shine. She has a great…”

“Look at the lake!” Parvati’s words were drowned out by the shout. She never finished as she was just as enthralled by the rest of the students by what was happening.

A whirlpool had formed in the lake. From the center, a mast appeared and continued to rise. As the mast rose, the rest of the ship came into view. In a matter of minutes, a large skeletal galleon sat on the dark waters of the Black Lake.

The two methods of transportation couldn’t be more different. One was bright and richly decorated; the other was dark, dreary and intimidating. 

Students in dark red cloaks started walking down a gang plank and up the grounds toward the glory that was Hogwarts castle. They did not rush the way the Beauxbatons students did, they were dressed for much colder weather.

“Ah, Albus. Thank you for the warm greeting. I see that Olympe has arrived but has not waited to greet us.”

“Good evening, Igor. Welcome, students of Durmstrang. Madame Maxime and her students went inside as they are not quite used to the Scottish weather. Perhaps we could all head inside and enjoy a meal together. Severus, if you would?”

“Of course,” Igor turned and gestured to one of his tall students, “come, Viktor. We would not want for your cold to worsen standing out in the moonlight.” He sneered at Professor Snape who, of course, sneered in return. The Hogwarts Potions Master won that sneer-off.

Those watching close enough could see not only Viktor roll his eyes but most of the students in red rolled their eyes with him. Igor, whatever his last name was, led his apparently prized student into the school as the rest followed. As they passed, a ripple of excitement ran through the Hogwarts student body. Viktor Krum was a student at Durmstrang.

Harry was pleased with this because he thought he might get to fly with the quidditch great again. He was more pleased when he spotted Aleksander among the following students.

“Well, that was anticlimactic.” Hermione sighed in disappointment.

“Perhaps there will be something better after the feast?” Harry suggested as they started to follow the visitors into the school.

**Great Hall**

Harry and the other Hogwarts quidditch players sat down to breakfast extremely early the next morning. Madam Hooch had given them the day off from training due to the previous night’s excitement but they still did their morning workout; mostly due to the fact they didn’t feel complete when they skipped it. There were very few others in the Great Hall. This wasn’t surprising.

After dinner the previous night, the Headmasters announced a bit of a meet and greet. Students entering the tournament and participating in the additional events were invited to stay and chat with their competition. A few students not involved managed to crash the party, but for the most part, it was just those who would compete.

Harry and Hermione, one of the people who didn’t leave but should have, welcomed Aimee and Aleksander to Hogwarts. They learned that both would be playing quidditch and both wanted to auction off their second Fireblast to benefit Harry’s charity. They thought his solution was brilliant. Their Firebolt representative hadn’t really had much to do with them. 

A good portion of the students attempted to shower Viktor Krum with their adulation. Harry was furious. He managed to talk a good portion of his house out of mauling the famous seeker. Students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw that heard him discouraging his house mates also backed off. The Slytherins, however, did not hear or heed his warnings. By the time fifteen minutes had gone by, Krum looked like he wanted to punch someone. Half an hour into the mini event, he was gone. 

The meet and greet broke up about an hour after it started as the visiting schools had been traveling all day. They wanted to get to their beds. Not to mention the fact people kept searching for Krum despite the fact that he disappeared.

What disturbed Harry, was that they didn’t discuss anything about the tournament. The Headmasters didn’t announce how the students would be chosen. They didn’t inform them when events would start. There was no mention of any rules or particulars about the individual tasks. 

Harry just wanted to know. He hoped they made some announcements the following evening.

Hermione slid into the seat next to him, Neville across from them. That was one thing Harry loved about the change in his closest friends. Both Neville and Hermione were early risers like he was. 

“Good morning, Harry.” Hermione leaned into his side before reaching for the tea. “How was your workout?”

“Good. We decided to add a lap to our circuit so it took a little longer but I don’t feel any more tired than I usually do. How are you doing this morning?”

“Great. Neville asked me to quiz him on some Herbology notes he has been studying. It’s really advanced, I don’t think the seventh years even study some of the stuff he is researching.”

Harry glanced at his friend, who only shrugged in return. 

They continued their meal, with Harry continually glancing toward the doors.

“Who are you looking for, Harry?” Ginny asked from her place next to Neville. She had been spending a lot of time with Harry and the twins due to the fact that she was made an alternate for the Basilisks. 

“I want to apologize to Viktor Krum for the way everyone was acting last night.”

“That’s nice of you but you don’t have to, it was the Slytherins who were acting like crazy fans.”

“Slytherins are students of Hogwarts. Their behavior reflects on all of us. Right now, Viktor Krum’s only impression of us is fans who don’t respect personal space. Someone should apologize and welcome him properly.”

“Well said, Mister Potter. That will be five points for Gryffindor.”

Harry looked over his shoulder to see Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick making their way to the head table. Remus was already at the table, talking to Professor Snape. He smiled at his Head of House, she nodded in answer.

Neville nudged the hand he had resting on the table and tilted his head toward the main doors. It seemed that Viktor Krum and his schoolmates had arrived.

“Thanks, Neville. Do you want to come with me?” Both Neville and Hermione stood in assent. 

The trio made their way confidently across the Great Hall, headed toward where the Durmstrang students had chosen to eat their meals, deep in territory few Gryffindors were brave enough to go; the Slytherin table. The snakes did not know what to think. Slytherins and Gryffindors did not mix. Gryffindors did not come into snake territory. 

When Draco Black stood, they fell silent. While things had changed, there was history there. Black falling into step with Harry caused them to hold their breaths. 

Harry and crew had reached the table just as Krum and his friends had. “Good morning, Mister Krum, Aleksander, Mister Markov.” Harry nodded to them. Aleksander had introduced them to Mikhail Markov the night before. “I apologize for interrupting your morning but I wanted to apologize for the way my schoolmates acted last night. Correct me if I am wrong, but you are a student, just like we are when at school. You may always be Viktor Krum, the star of the Bulgarian quidditch team, but Viktor Krum did not begin as a quidditch star and he will not end as a quidditch star. If you plan to play quidditch, then I will see you on the pitch. If you become the Durmstrang Champion, then I wish you luck. For now, I would like to welcome you to Hogwarts. If you ever need to know where something is, feel free to ask.”

Viktor took his hand and shook it firmly. “Thank you, Harry Potter. You will see me on the pitch. I hope you have been practicing.”

Harry smiled. “Of course I’ve been practicing; I can’t let Draco beat me. Thank you for your time and welcome.”

The four students walked from the hall, without looking back.

“He didn’t drool, faint or kiss your feet.” A dark-haired girl said in a language only her classmates would understand.

“That was Harry Potter, Iona.” Viktor answered in the same language. “If there was anyone under this roof who would not act like a crazy fan, it would be him. I am famous for flying professionally, something I work for and enjoy. He is famous for surviving where everyone before and after has died. Harry Potter understands the pains of fame probably better than any I play with.”

“Well,” she smiled, “that is one group in this school I will not have to hate for the way they treat you then.”

While the Durmstrang students were impressed, a certain trio of Beauxbatons students were not. 

“They all fawn over the quidditch star.” Fleur shook her head. Sophia and Juliette nodded. 

“He is not so great; he only plays quidditch.”

“At least the little messy haired boy has not drooled on your shoes, but perhaps that is because he has not reached puberty yet.”

“Will you stop? He might not have been going to speak to Krum.” Aimee was getting quite sick of their attitudes. They had been at Hogwarts for less than a day and they were already complaining about the students. “He knows one of the men standing next to Krum.”

“And how would you know?” Fleur stared down her nose at the other blonde. 

“I know because I know both the young man from Hogwarts and one of the men who stands with Krum. I met them both at the World Cup. Harry, the Hogwarts boy, beat me in the broom race competition while I beat Aleksander, which Sophia and Juliette should be aware of. Harry also saved Aleksander and me from those men in masks after the game.” She glared at her friends. “Please don’t insult people when you don’t know them. If you can’t do that, at least refrain from rude comments about Harry in my presence.”

The angered trio watched their friend storm away. She walked to the table full of students in green and sat down across the table from Krum and his friends, directly next to a tall dark-haired girl. The Durmstrang and Slytherin students were startled but quickly adapted to the inclusion of the French girl. That angered a certain blonde even more.

**Later That Day – Dinner**

The novelty of having a celebrity had not worn off by dinner that night. Despite Harry’s example, the students still flocked to the stoic Durmstrang student. Some students, all male, also flocked to a blonde Beauxbatons student. They did this in a manner far worse than those flocking to the quidditch great. Confident young men of all houses were reduced to drooling minions in her presence. For once, Harry Potter was just another student. 

It was the twenty-ninth and the champions would be chosen in two days’ time, on the night of Halloween. The students arrived promptly and in mass, hoping to hear how those lucky three would be chosen to compete for eternal glory. 

There were new faces at the table when they arrived. Headmaster Dumbledore stood when all were seated to introduce their guests. “Welcome students. Tonight, we have the honor of dining with individuals of importance to the Triwizard tournament. First, the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and the man responsible for this grand tournament returning, Bartemius Crouch. To his left is Ludo Bagman. Mister Bagman is a former keeper of the Wimbourne Wasps and is currently the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Both Mister Bagman and Mister Crouch will be judges for the individual competitions. Mister Bagman will also be announcing the quidditch games.”

The students applauded politely. They really didn’t care about ministerial officials, they wanted to know about the tournament, about the champions. 

“Lastly, at the far end of the table is an old friend of mine. He is a retired Auror and will be in charge of security. Alastor Moody will be staying at the castle throughout the year. You may not see him, but he most certainly will see you.” The twinkle in the Headmaster’s eyes was directed toward a certain Gryffindor and his group of mischief makers. “Now, please tuck in. More announcements will commence after the meal.” 

And so, the students ate. Some rushed through the meal thinking that if they finished sooner, the announcements would come sooner. Their speed did not help because not all students rushed. The meal commenced at normal speed. When the vast majority had cleaned their plates, dessert was served. It was when the dessert plates disappeared from the tables that all three Headmasters and both Ministry employees stood.

“What a lovely meal. I hope you all enjoyed the fare prepared for you.” Dumbledore surveyed the students. All students appeared content and full. “I give the floor to Mister Crouch.”

“Hello students of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. I am honored to stand in your presence and honored to announce the beginning of the Triwizard tournament.” The Hall erupted in applause. This was what they had been waiting for. “As you have been informed, one student, aged seventeen, will be chosen to represent each school in competition. Traditionally, the Triwizard tournament has three events. It has been decided that the remaining students would enjoy watching more events. Each of the participating schools have designed two tasks while the Ministries of the three presiding nations have designed the final task. By the end of the school year, the champions will have competed in seven tasks and the winner will receive a thousand galleons and their name will forever more be spoken of with awe.

“The method of choosing is one of tradition and magic. There is an artifact that will judge each name presented and will choose the most qualified for each school. We do not know which characteristics this artifact judges for so all students of age are welcome to enter.”

Dumbledore stepped forward. “I will be laying an age line around the artefact so that only those of age can enter the tournament. The professors have also set up a rotation so that there will always be an adult present with the cup to ensure fair play.”

“The artefact will be placed in the atrium for all who wish to compete. You will have until five the night of Halloween to place your name in the artefact.” 

It was then that the door at the side of the Head table opened and Percy Weasley levitated a box toward his boss. Dumbledore conjured a grand pedestal that the Weasley brother placed the box on. A flick of Percy’s wand caused the box to vanish and a glorious cup stood on the pedestal.

“Behold, the Goblet of Fire!” the headmasters said as one. 

Bartemius Crouch touched the cup with his wand and orange flames erupted within the cup. “Ludo, if you would.”

Ludo Bagman dropped a slip of parchment into the flames.

Madam Maxime followed, placing a slip of paper into the cup.

Igor Karkaroff and then Albus Dumbledore dropped slips of parchment into the flames. 

When each slip fell into the flames, they flashed a brilliant blue. 

Crouch lifted a sheet of parchment and held it over the flames. “With this, I announce the beginning of the Triwizard tournament!” When the slip fell into the flame it once again flared blue, but this time it did not return to orange. Blue flames danced in the cup of the Goblet of Fire, calling all who dared to enter a tournament of danger and glory.

**Wizengamot**

Narcissa sat back and watched. Things had been going rather well. October’s Wizengamot session would be held that day. For some utterly ridiculous reason, this one had been scheduled a week later than normal. The meetings were generally scheduled the third Thursday of the month. Someone had decided that the third week was going to be too busy for the rest of the year so it was now scheduled for the last week of the month, which was always a rather busy week for businesses and the Ministry. 

She was immensely proud of how Harry had handled the auction the previous weekend. Being a mother, she could see how uncomfortable he was. He had fidgeted and avoided eye contact most of the afternoon, then that little boy had hugged him. After that, Harry had been completely relaxed. He had a way of impressing everyone who met him and he had certainly impressed many that day. He may be young but he had an innate way of adapting to the situation as long as it would help someone else. She just hoped that trend continued. 

The champions for that ridiculous tournament would be chosen in just four days’ time.

September’s session had been a surprise. Severus had informed her of Poppy Pomphrey’s diagnosis and the plan going forward but she had not expected Dumbledore to move so quickly. 

Dumbledore announcing his retirement had left the room in disbelief. The man was older but he had never before let that age show. After minutes of silence, the room descended into chaos. Light families venomously objected. Gray families demanded a written request with reasons and candidates for his replacement. Dark families started nominating their most bloodthirsty as the new Chief. Only a few managed to retain their decorum. 

Sirius and the other Founding Family Heads had kept their reactions to a minimum. Her cousin, of course, already knew Albus would be retiring, he just did not expect it then. Abbot and the light seemed surprised but willing to wait for an explanation. Nott and his allies were hungry. She nearly shivered upon seeing the gleam in the eyes of Josiah Avery, their attack dog. Those allied with Sirius were taking stock.

Albus had done an exceptional job. He cited his age, being spread too thin and his wish to focus on aiding their youth. There was no better way to placate the light and gain respect from the gray and dark. Albus Dumbledore may be known for many things, defeating Dark Lords included, but his crowning achievement would be the children. Before opening the room to nominations, he gave those gathered his opinion on the matter; Narcissa thought his choice was inspired. 

Griselda Marchbanks was highly respected among all factions. Not even those who aligned with the pureblood doctrine could find fault in her. She was both traditional and progressive depending on the topic. Despite her age, she was older than Dumbledore after all, she was still one of the most active members of the Wizengamot and her other duties to the Department of Magical education should not conflict with the additional work that Chief Warlock would present. 

Lucius was the first to nominate someone once the floor was opened. His nomination was not one that Nott and his allies would have liked. Bilious Warrington was not the most intelligent choice because he was too far into Lucius’s pocket. In recent years, he had been unable to make a decision on his own, everything he did required Lucius’s approval. Because of Lucius’s enthusiasm, Nott could not push forth a nomination if they wanted a chance at gaining control of the seat, which was a good thing. Nott would most likely choose Gregor Childress; that man was even more enthused about putting muggleborns in their place while being charming and completely in control of his emotions. Childress would have had a chance and would have destroyed her carefully laid plans.

The light’s nomination was put forth by Benjamin Abbot. Ben had been trying to get Amos Diggory into their circle for years. Department Heads may be able to sit in meetings but they did not have a full vote. Diggory wanted a seat but he didn’t have the clout to gain a nomination. Amos however had a large blind spot when it came to creature laws. Ben was a good man with few prejudices and a strange loyalty to Amos. It seemed Ben would nominate Amos for any position that became available, whether Diggory was qualified or not. Narcissa was not pleased with the nomination.

Augusta took their nomination. She, like Narcissa, agreed with Dumbledore, a fact that would normally sicken Narcissa. Griselda had a record of fair voting backed by research and forethought. She had never backed the most vicious notions brought before the body and had actively sought to destroy Umbridge’s credibility. Most importantly, she had been one of the most outraged at the miscarriage of justice surrounding Sirius’s lack of trial.

They would officially choose his replacement during the October session. 

After that it was business as usual. Silas had done a fantastic job presenting their budget reform. There had been two people to second their proposal. Benjamin Abbot and Harfang Orpington, light Heads of Founding Families, had both shot to their feet to second the proposal. Narcissa had met Nott’s eyes briefly, he had nodded his head as a show of respect. She wasn’t sure if she should be concerned by that or not.

A representative had been chosen from the ministry to review the proposal and examine the existing budget. They were lucky that Cecily Brubeck had been picked. She was not attached to the DMLE, as per procedure; she was one of their outlying allies. Cecily also had a reputation of running the most efficient department in the ministry. She was never over budget and never had too great a surplus. Her findings would be presented during the November session.

Movement at the front of the room drew her attention. Lucius had arrived just in time for the session. She was really starting to loathe her ex-husband. All Wizengamot members were allowed an advisor though few saw the need. Most often, they used the advisor seat when training their heir. It seemed Lucy, as Sirius often called him, had new ideas about how to use the advisory seat. He had brought his new playmate with him.

Narcissa managed to keep the scowl from her face when she recognized Magdalena Dalworth. The young woman was lovely, to be sure, but had little to speak of beyond her endowments. She never embarrassed her family at parties but she did have a reputation of knowing what wizards, married or not, wanted. She had absolutely no business being there but it would be the height of dishonor to question a member’s choice of advisor.

“Are you alright, Cissa?”

She placed a hand on Sirius’s arm, “I am fine. Do not react. He wants me uncomfortable but he will never see a reaction from me.”

He searched her eyes but could find nothing that would indicate she was anything but composed. The Black training was good for that at least. 

“Please all be seated so that this, the tenth meeting of the Wizengamot in the year 1994 can begin.”

As they had in his first session, the Founding Families stood. After a beat, Sebastian, their leader in this due to age, nodded and they sat as one. 

“The first order of business,” the clerk began, “is the vote and appointment of our new Chief Warlock. The nominees spoke during our last session. All members have a single vote. If a member is not present and no proxy is present, then their vote will not count toward the decision. When I call the nominee’s name, raise your lit wand so that the scribe may tally the votes.”

The clerk called them in alphabetical order. There were only a handful of votes for Diggory, and only one from the Founding families.

Griselda Marchbanks was called second. Looking around, Narcissa didn’t think it was necessary to even announce the third nomination. Madam Marchbanks had well over half the vote and had twelve of the fourteen Founding votes. The only remaining Founding vote belonged to Maliki Wilkes. Nott and Malfoy were definitely feuding.

She was correct, there was no need to call the third candidate. Griselda won by a landslide. 

Narcissa was pleased. She could have dealt with Albus Dumbledore as Chief; Madam Marchbanks was a much better Chief in her opinion and an unexpected boon. Things were certainly looking up. It was looking like she may just fix the world before her son needed to take his place in society.

**Grimmauld Place**

She was sitting in the library, sipping what looked like whisky from a crystal tumbler. Sirius had called Harry and Remus, instructing them to find him so he could check in on her. Harry had found Draco before he had made it to the dungeons so he also had her frantic son pounding on his office door, begging him to check on her. He had also been approached by Albus when he returned to the castle. So many people were concerned for her and they all thought of him to comfort her.

Severus Snape didn’t care about many people. He had started guarding his heart before he ever made a friend. For the few people who made it passed his guard, he protected them furiously. He had failed his first friend, a fact he had yet to forgive himself for despite the decade he had lived after that failure. Until very recently, there were only two other people he would willingly kill for. Draco Black was his godson, and he took his position as godfather seriously. Narcissa was the only other person he felt compelled to protect.

Most would not think Narcissa needed protecting, which was exactly what she wanted everyone to think. The Black upbringing followed by the Hogwarts prejudices had forced her to encase her emotions behind a wall of violent wards. Black children were not shown love or compassion. Slytherins were classed as evil the second the hat called their school home. This caused many to develop a persona, Narcissa’s was a perfect version of an Ice Queen.

He knew better. Narcissa was not her sisters. She hadn’t lost her sanity to the bloodlust like Bellatrix. She hadn’t followed Andromeda into abandoning all she had grown up knowing so she could escape happily. No, Narcissa had closed her heart away and only pulled it out when caring for her son. Severus had seen the vulnerability due to the fact that he had trained himself not to miss anything.

“You shouldn’t have come.” She didn’t turn to face him when he entered. All she did was throw back the remaining finger of whiskey in her crystal tumbler and pour herself another five fingers.

“I hadn’t had a chance to thank you and thought tonight was the perfect opportunity.” He hoped his ploy would distract her just long enough for her to accept his company for the evening.

“Thank me for what?”

“Evans House.”

“I was at the school last week. You could have thanked me then.”

“True but to convey just how much it means to me I do require your full attention.”

“I know what it means to you. You are part of the reason it is called Evans House.”

“And what of the other reasons?”

“The first is for Lily Evans. I respect her more than I can put into words. She did what any mother should do. Had I been in her place, I would have done the same. Only a witch, only a mother, could have done what she did.” She sipped from her glass. “The second reason was for you. You loved her and love her still, despite what you tell yourself. For you to have loved her, she had to have been a beautiful woman inside. Mostly, it was for Harry. He didn’t want his name to be what pulled people to the cause. He doesn’t want to be famous so putting his name in front of a charity to benefit children would defeat his purpose for the charity. He wanted people to donate because of what it did not who sponsored it.” 

“She would have been honored.”

Once again, Narcissa finished the liquid in her glass in a single gulp and slammed the glass on the table. “Now that you have shown your gratitude, you are free to go.”

He sighed. So much for that idea. “Your family is worried about you.”

“Sirius should worry about himself. He still has night terrors despite what he tells everyone.”

“I am aware that Black is not as healed as he claims. He does speak to Remus and Remus comes to me for advice. I am working on a variation of Dreamless Sleep; I hope to create one that isn’t addictive in nature or one that is at least non-toxic if too much is ingested too often. They hide it from Harry.”

“Well, Sirius still shouldn’t have contacted you.”

“Remus and Harry are also concerned. Sirius mirror called him and Harry just in case he didn’t reach me.”

“He shouldn’t have done that either. Remus has enough to deal with. Taking care of Sirius. Helping Minerva so Minerva can help Albus. Not to mention the Packs, Aria and Fay. The last person who needs to worry about me is Harry.” She tossed back another finger or so. “Harry is the child; I am the adult, the mother figure here. He has school and a girlfriend. His biggest worries should be quidditch and homework but he also has the blasted tournament because someone decided that a child was going to save the world.” As far as they were concerned, Harry’s entrance in the tournament was a foregone conclusion.

“Miss Granger says Harry has a ‘saving people’ thing. He would worry no matter what we did or said.”

“Well, then you can go back to the castle and tell them I am fine. Lucius is a child who likes shiny things and he has no effect on me.”

“Draco begged me. He will know I am lying because he knows you as well as I do.”

“Who told Draco?”

Severus could see her shields beginning to crack. “It was an accident on Harry’s part. He didn’t intend to tell Draco, he just happened to make it to my office to see if I was going to check in on you as Draco was leaving. Draco saw the worry and demanded to know what was wrong.” He shook his head, “He told Draco because if it were him, he would want to know if he was in Draco’s place.”

“It shouldn’t affect me at all.”

He closed the distance between them and sat on the low table in front of the chair. Taking her glass from her, he looked her in the eyes. “He was your husband for nearly sixteen years, Narcissa. You married him right after Hogwarts. You may not have truly loved each other but you didn’t loathe each other either. There was affection.”

“He was never faithful.”

“He is a pureblood male who was taught from birth he could do anything he wished. Your contract did not stipulate faithfulness on his part, as long as no children resulted from his dalliances, he was just doing what his father would do.”

“I know that. I got over it long ago.”

“I am aware. This is not the first time I have found you drinking whiskey alone while you attempt to control your emotions. Lucius has often had this effect on you.” He smiled slightly. 

“Are you going to let me continue to drink alone?”

“What kind of gentleman do you take me for?”

“Then give me back my tumbler and find yourself one, they are in the cupboard near the fire.” She poured more whiskey into her glass and eyed the decanter. “Bring another bottle of whiskey while you’re at it. The ones in the crystal decanters are of better quality.”

Severus nearly smiled. Narcissa did not drink whiskey regularly. She only did so when upset and when she was upset, she tended to drink a lot of very expensive whiskey. Lucius used to complain about it. He thought she was inviting her ‘little friends’ over and they were drinking all his best whiskey when in fact it was usually just Severus and Narcissa raiding his liquor cabinet.

He walked back to her, pulled her from the arm chair and sat them both down on the loveseat facing the fire. “To Lucius, may he contract whatever diseases Magdalena has acquired over the years.”

Narcissa snorted in a very unladylike way. “To Magdalena, may she take him for all he is worth.”


	26. Rules and Regulations

**Halloween Night**

“The Goblet is about to make its decision. If I could have silence while we wait.” Bartemius Crouch swept an arm toward the Goblet of Fire.

In the two days since the Goblet had been presented, a large number of students had entered. There wasn’t one student at Hogwarts aged seventeen who hadn’t entered. Sunday had seen many students hanging around the entrance hall to watch the students enter their names. Classes had been canceled Monday, Halloween day, to prevent the teachers from hexing their students due to lack of attention. The Hogwarts quidditch teams spent a lot of time training both days. Harry and his closest friends also spent a good portion of their days with Remus. The Defense Professor was tutoring them in dueling and advanced spell casting. Fred and George had attempted to enter the tournament, knowing they would not be able to. They had asked Remus what the age line would do if they used aging potions, when they heard the consequence was an Albus Dumbledore style beard, they just had to do it.

Madam Maxime stepped forward as the fire sputtered and flashed orange. A slip of singed paper flew from the flames as it returned to that startling blue. “The champion from my Beauxbatons Academy is Fleur Delacour.”

The blonde beauty queen boys had been fawning over, stood and smiled to the students around her even though half of them were scowling at her. Students watched as she flounced to the dais and was directed to the antechamber off the head table.

Headmaster Karkaroff shoved his way toward the Goblet of Fire as it began to sputter once more. “The champion of the Durmstrang Institute is, of course, VIKTOR KRUM!”

Students began to chant Krum, much like the fans did at the World Cup. The quidditch star stood, his expression as blank as always. He bowed his head to the students, his eyes catching Harry’s. Harry and the quidditch star shared an understanding eye roll; fans really were annoying. Viktor stalked to the head table and swept into the side room without being directed to do so. 

The cheers for Krum dissipated as Headmaster Dumbledore sidled up to the cup. “The third and final champion, representing Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is Cedric Diggory.” 

Hogwarts was on its feet. Cedric really was the best choice. No house could come up with a reason to not cheer for him. A certain fourth year seeker in green was elated at the selection, which could be heard across the hall, as he was now the starting seeker for the Basilisks.

While the crowd celebrated the official beginning, a small group of Gryffindor students braced. 

Harry looked at his lap and breathed deeply. He was having a very hard time keeping his emotions under control. In a matter of moments, he would know if this whole circus was an elaborate plan to kill him. 

Hermione gripped his hand tightly. “No matter what happens we are with you.”

He searched her eyes, looking for the fear that plagued her during the summer. He couldn’t find any. “There she is.”

“What?”

“My girlfriend is back. The best thing about you, Hermione is that you are always at my back, no questions asked.”

Her answering eye roll went unnoticed.

“Harry Potter.” The Headmaster’s voice shook slightly.

All eyes turned to the Gryffindor table.

“HARRY POTTER!”

Harry looked at Neville and the boy nodded. 

Fay smiled a crooked smile in support. 

Hermione squeezed his hand. 

Harry stood; his friends stood with him.

Fred and George each put a hand on his shoulders. They would protect their brother when they could. 

Across the hall, Draco Black stood and nodded.

Harry leaned over and kissed Hermione’s cheek before dropping her hand and slowly walking to his Headmaster. He could feel the glares. He saw the looks of confusion. He saw fear on Roger’s face; glee on Cho’s. The Gryffindor chasers stood and nodded their support despite the fear that filled their eyes. Aimee Beaucourt, sitting with the Ravens, stood and quickly gripped his hand as he walked past. At the Slytherin table, Aleksander and his friend Mikhail stood and moved to stand on either side of Draco, a small wall of support from the snake den.

As he walked up the steps, he was faced with fear; McGonagall, Sprout and Hagrid. He was faced with revulsion; Karkaroff, Maxime and Crouch. Interest from Moody. Glee from Bagman. Resignation painted Snape, Dumbledore, Flitwick, Pomphrey and Remus’s faces.

He turned when he stood at the center, just in front of the Goblet of Fire. After a whispered Sonorous, that he didn’t draw his wand to perform, he spoke. “I, Harry James Potter, Heir of House Potter, swear on my life and magic that I did not enter my name, nor did I ask someone to enter my name into the Goblet of Fire. So mote it be.” He waited, watching his words sink in. Draco nodded. It was time. “Expecto Patronum.” His silver fox burst from his wand and darted around the hall, brushing past Hermione before returning to him and brushing her tail against his hand before dissipating. 

He canceled the Sonorous with another whisper and confidently made his way to the side chamber in the silence his announcement created, no matter how much he wanted to fall apart. 

The champions were standing near the giant fireplace, keeping warm within the drafty castle. Krum was leaning against the wall on the right, Fleur stood directly in front of the flame while Cedric was on her left. They turned when he entered. Cedric appeared confused by his entrance. Krum merely raised an eyebrow while Fleur scowled, she really wasn’t portraying an attractive personality.

“Harry, what are you doing here?”

“Do they want us to return?”

Harry shook his head at the French student’s question. “My name came out of the Goblet of Fire.” 

The professors and tournament officials burst through the door at that moment. “Did you put your name in the Goblet, boy.” Crouch got in Harry’s face.

“Weren’t you listening to him, Mister Crouch,” Professor McGonagall all but snarled. “He performed a magical vow, placing that vow on his life and magic, stating he didn’t.”

“It would be impossible for him to be standing here had he lied as his vow would have killed him. The fully corporeal Patronus was unnecessary but certainly proved a point.” Professor Snape sneered at the department head. 

“Did you ask someone to do it for you?”

“Bartemius, that was part of the oath as well,” Dumbledore sighed. “Not to mention the Goblet was never alone, at least not to my knowledge. Professors would have seen him if he came near the Goblet and I would hope they would have noticed someone placing an additional name in the Goblet. Alastor, Severus, please speak to the professors that were on duty, perhaps they were interrupted or saw something suspicious when dealing with the students who thought aging potions would work.”

“You have got to be crazy. He can’t compete, he is just a child.” Fleur eyed him up and down and her eyes said she was not impressed.

“I quite agree, Albus. This is completely unfair. Hogwarts now has two champions. You are cheating.”

“No,” Harry quickly jumped in. “Hogwarts has one champion. Cedric is the champion and representative of the school. I am just a member of one of the quidditch teams.”

“The boy lies,” Karkaroff sneered. “I agree with Olympe, you are cheating.”

“If Harry Potter gave a magical oath stating he did not enter, then he did not.” Viktor spoke over the squabbling. “Perhaps everyone in this room should take an oath that they did not enter him. If you question him, then you should question everyone.”

“Krum is right.” Cedric agreed. “Magical oaths cannot be faked. You have hundreds of witnesses out there who saw it right? There are three people who didn’t see the oath and I know two of us believe him.”

“I will consent that the boy did not enter himself and did not ask anyone to do so.” Madam Maxime looked down her nose at Harry. “That does not negate the fact that Hogwarts still has two champions.”

“Actually, that isn’t possible.” Bartemius pulled a thick roll of parchment from his robes. “The Goblet can only choose one champion per school. In order for Mister Potter to be chosen, his name would have had to be entered under a fourth school’ name. The rules we decided on only stipulated that there was only one champion per school, technically, we didn’t limit it to three schools. Whoever put his name in only had to be powerful enough to convince the goblet there was a fourth school, entering late, and put the boy’s name in. Being the only name available, he was chosen.”

“Fine,” Karkaroff snarled. “He isn’t technically a Hogwarts champion, but he still attends the school so he will be considered a Hogwarts champion. I want a second champion.”

“As do I.”

“No! I will not share the glory of being the Beauxbatons champion. The Goblet chose me and I am the champion. I will not allow another to compete with me, Madam Maxime. Plus, he is no competition. He can’t be more than twelve, he knows little magic, he will be lucky to make it out of the first task.”

“Perhaps that was the point.” Cedric mused under his breath. “Look, I don’t want to compete against Harry. It isn’t that he won’t be a challenge despite being only fourteen;” Cedric stressed Harry’s age, “Harry tends to rise to the occasion, or at least that is the rumor. I don’t want to compete against him because Hogwarts shouldn’t be divided in this; we all attend the same school so we should all fight under the same banner.”

“Well said, Diggory.” Viktor walked forward and extended a hand to Harry, who shook it without pause. “I do not want to compete against one of my brothers and sisters. Durmstrang will not feel torn when they cheer for their champion. I look forward to competing with both Hogwarts champions. I hope you stay on the quidditch team, Harry Potter, because I was looking forward to facing you. You flew very well when we met at the World Cup and I wanted to see you in an actual game.”

“I will see you on the pitch, Viktor.” Harry used his given name. The professional seeker had asked him to do so at the World Cup. “I would be honored to face you as a champion as well. I only hope I manage to not make a fool of myself during the individual tasks. I am only fourteen. Three years of schooling probably won’t be much challenge for students who have completed six.”

“I don’t know, Harry,” Cedric said in a teasing voice. “Rumor is you took out a Werewolf during the full moon, repelled a dozen Dementors and took down two Death Eaters at the World Cup. You might do better than me.” He shook Harry and Viktor’s hands.

The three young men looked at Fleur. She rolled her eyes and walked over, shaking each of their hands in turn. She did not meet Harry’s eyes when she took his hand.

“That good enough for all of you?” Cedric smiled at the gathered professors.

“If so, we would like to finish whatever business you have with us so that we might return to our classmates to celebrate.” Viktor backed Cedric. 

“Fantastic!” Ludo Bagman spoke for the first time. “Well, as you were told the other night, you will be competing in seven events throughout the year. There will be one event before the New Year, held on the third Saturday of November. After that there will be one a month, each task will be on the third Saturday of the month. I have only one clue for you concerning the first task.” He pulled out a back and reached inside. He pulled a rock from the bag and placed one in the hands of the original three champions. “I will get a sample for you as well, Mister Potter. Obviously, I wasn’t prepared for a fourth competitor.” 

“You get only this hint,” Crouch continued with much less enthusiasm, “as the first task is put forth to test your bravery in the face of the unknown.”

“Right. You will all be expected to meet Friday November 4th. There will be a small press conference and the traditional Weighing of the Wands.”

“The Weighing of the Wands is an important tradition as it ensures all competitors have properly working wands. You will not survive if you don’t have a working wand.”

A grizzled, humorless laugh startled the occupants of the room. “Are we all just going to ignore the cockatrice in the room? Blondie said it, Diggory commented on it and Crouch just mentioned it in a way. Don’t you all wonder why Potter’s name came out of the Goblet? This tournament was supposed to be for of-age students only because it is dangerous. Obviously, someone wants Potter out of commission; I don’t know if they want him dead or just so mangled, he is no longer a threat but they didn’t enter him to give him glory and fame.”

“Really, Alastor, was that entirely necessary?” Professor McGonagall glared. “Please don’t try to frighten my student. We will not let him die.”

“You can’t bury your head in the sand, little kitty.”

“Alastor,” Dumbledore spoke over him. He did not need his transfiguration teacher hexing his security expert. “Enough. We will speak more on the why and how later. I would have preferred not to throw out random theories to the students. I had planned to meet with Harry and the other champions when we had a solid theory about our conclusions.” The man backed down with a shrug. “Now, I believe that is all we needed from you. You are free to return to your classmates and whatever celebrations they have begun.”

The headmasters, Moody and the ministry employees left the room first. Fleur nodded slightly to her competitors, purposefully ignoring Harry, before sweeping from the room as well. Snape turned to leave but paused before exiting the door. Turning back, he nodded at the three remaining champions, then pushed through the door in true Professor Snape style.

Professor McGonagall remained but stayed near the door to allow them some privacy. 

“Thanks for standing up for me.”

“No problem, Harry. When they said you gave a magical oath there was no reason not to. Plus, I have never known you to lie.”

“Have either of you ever spoken to the press?” The two turned to Viktor and shook their heads. “It is very important that you always refuse the use of Quick Quotes Quills. Also, stay calm and always answer only what you are comfortable answering. I would suggest you refuse any questions not pertaining to the tournaments. Some reporters will twist your words so it is best to speak clearly and leave no room for interpretation and do not give one on one interviews unless you trust the reporter not to twist your words.”

“Thank you, Viktor.”

“Harry, you should also speak to your guardian and have them present at any press interviews. As a minor, they are not allowed to speak to you without a guardian or teach present.” Krum nodded one last time before leaving the room.

“Five points to each of you. You have represented Hogwarts with dignity. Mister Diggory, your points are for school unity and defending a fellow student. Mister Potter your points are for handling yourself with calm and decorum when adults were acting like children.” She smiled, “Now, both of you, head to your common rooms. I am sure you are missing some rather wild parties.”

….

Harry had left Cedric at the bottom of the Grand staircase. The older boy headed for his common room, which was near the kitchens so he would be going down while Harry traversed the stairs. During his long walk, up seven floors, Harry found himself dreading the rest of the night. 

What if they didn’t believe him? That shouldn’t happen, he knew, but a small part of him kept flashing back to second year. Of course, even if the school reacted in a similar way, he knew he would have more support this time. It wouldn’t be just Hermione and Ron. This time, if the school shunned him, he would have Hermione and Neville. He would have the twins and the chasers. Then there was Fay and Draco. Plus, Remus was in the castle and Cedric and Viktor had already taken his back. Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape would also ensure that no one hexed him in their presence. 

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to stop thinking like that. He had taken a magical oath that left no options. Only morons would still claim he cheated his way into the tournament.

He would have to talk to the team the following day. Cho seemed a bit too happy with his placement in the tournament. Perhaps she thought he was going to quit the quidditch team so she would get the starting spot. At least Roger would be relieved; he might react in a way reminiscent of Oliver. That would be amusing at least.

Hopefully he would get a moment to call Sirius. He knew Remus would already be doing that and also assumed Professor Snape would be contacting Narcissa, but they deserved to hear from him. 

He took a deep breath when the Fat Lady came into view. She opened without him giving the password, which was sort of odd, but he wasn’t going to question it right then.

The common room was not in the middle of a blowout party to end all parties as he had expected. The lights were sort of low and it looked like most of the common room was gone. Fred and George stood just inside the entrance, waiting for him. What was going on here?

“Are you okay?”

“Did the others take it alright?”

“Did Crouch give you a hard time?”

He blinked at the last question. It had come from Percy. It was then he realized that the only people in the common room were the quidditch team from last year, Oliver included. Percy, Hermione, Neville and Fay. Everyone else was gone. “Where is everyone?”

“It’s Halloween.” Fred said simply.

“We know you don’t celebrate Halloween.”

“So, we kicked everyone out of the common room and told them we would party on Friday night. Hermione said it was a much more responsible plan anyway.”

“We thought you might like to set another goal, just like last year. The rest of the family wanted to join you, if that’s alright that is.”

Harry almost started crying when the twins stopped. Oliver and Percy pushed the twins out of the way, each wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Your team is here for you, Harry, even if we all aren’t on the same team right now, we are always your team.”

“Thanks, Oli.”

“Bill and the twins adopted you, Harry. That makes you my brother too. I have been thinking of you as my brother for almost as long as they have. Now I really do want to know how Crouch reacted, he has been off lately and I am concerned.”

“He asked me if I put my name in.”

“But he was standing right there when you did the oath,” Fred said in disbelief.

“Which Professor McGonagall was kind enough to point out to him. Headmaster Dumbledore had to remind him that I also said I didn’t ask anyone to enter me after he asked. Professor Snape was the one to point out that I was not dead and had performed magic so I couldn’t have done either.”

Percy frowned deeply.

“Everything alright, Perc?” Oliver asked, concerned.

“Yes and no. It will hold until tomorrow, so don’t worry about me.”

“Alright,” Neville took over. “Now is not the time to celebrate. It is time to remember why we are all here. Tonight, we honor those who lost their lives. To do this we are all going to set a goal. That goal should be something we want to achieve to help others not just ourselves.”

“As we discovered last year, some of our goals may not be achievable in just a year so don’t be afraid to set a goal that will take time.” Hermione smiled as everyone settled around the fire. Harry sat next to her and Rah, who had been on the back of the couch, wrapped around the two.

“What sort of goals did you set last year?” Angelina asked. She was sitting in Fred’s lap due to lack of seating.

“My goal was to help Ginny find herself again.” Fred wrested his chin on the girl’s shoulder. “I think she is doing better. She isn’t quite as carefree as she used to be but she smiles and isn’t afraid of our mom anymore.”

“I think Neville and Hermione had the best goals. Hermione is going to bring equality to the wizarding world.” Harry smiled. “My goal for this year may actually help Neville’s from last year, which was to find a way to help his parents. I want to explore the possibilities of Parselmagic. I want to see if Parselmagic can cure things that were previously thought incurable. I plan to talk to Professor Snape and a few Parselmagic users Bill knows. Rah seems to think we could do some good.” Rah hissed in a way that sounded a lot like agreement.

“I have one,” Percy spoke up. “I want to help fix the ministry. It is corrupt and doesn’t function the way it is supposed to. Some people are working to fix things, like Madam Bones and Narcissa Black. I am keeping my eyes open and noting everything I can. I guess I have already started my goal. Does that still count?”

“Yes, that counts,” Oliver insisted. “I am going to get professional quidditch players more involved with charities. I am so proud of you, Harry. What you did last week was probably the most amazing thing I have ever seen. I want to talk to the starting line and see if they will help me set up a camp or something for kids. We would teach them how to fly and play quidditch. It would be for kids that don’t have that option; maybe we could set something up with Evans House or another charity.”

Harry smiled as his friends continued to set goals for themselves. This was what he needed. He never needed huge parties to find peace. What he needed when things were falling apart was his friends, his team, his family. 

**Grimmauld Place**

Sirius and Narcissa sat waiting by the Floo. The champions were supposed to have been chosen about an hour ago. They hadn’t heard yet. Aria and Bill had joined them for dinner so that they were there when the news was called in. Sirius had his mirror sitting on the table next to his chair, hoping that either Remus or Harry would call soon.

A flash of green flames, followed by Severus stepping from the flames drew them to their feet.

“Harry’s name came out of the Goblet of Fire.”

Sirius instantly grabbed a sealed letter from the coffee table. “Excuse me, I need to owl the ministry for the official rules. If there is a way around this, I will find it.”

“Make a copy when you get one.” Bill called after him. “Goblins are masters at finding loopholes.”

“How did it go?” Narcissa asked as calmly as she could. She grabbed Severus’s arm and pulled him down onto the love seat she had vacated when he entered.

“He followed the plan perfectly. No student should be able to claim he was cheating or shun him for this. The magical oath covered all his bases and the casual way he performed magic will get them thinking. He chose to cast a Patronus to show that his oath had not taken his magic.” The last he said with a smirk.

“What are they going to do about it? Are the officials going to look into how this could have possibly happened?”

Severus glanced at Aria. “Crouch tried to blame Harry after Harry cast a magical oath right in front of him. Minerva and Albus essentially told him he was an idiot for even asking. Albus asked Moody and I to talk to everyone who was on duty watching the cup to see if it was ever alone or there was anything suspicious. As for how it was possible, Crouch pulled out the rules and apparently when they wrote the stipulations for the tournament, they didn’t specify the number of schools, only that there was one champion per school. He indicated the person responsible would have had to enter a school and contestant after the initial lighting for Harry to be chosen. He didn’t give much more detail so I can only speculate.”

“And the other champions?” Bill guessed it would be difficult if the champions were against Harry.

“Diggory was chosen for Hogwarts, Krum for Durmstrang and some girl named Delacour was chosen for Beauxbatons. Krum appeared to back Harry before he heard about the oath and Cedric jumped to defend him as well. Delacour was rather unpleasant but I think that had more to do with the fact that she is used to being the center of attention and she isn’t in this instance. She is battling Krum’s fame and now she will have to contend with Harry’s.

“Karkaroff tried to demand a second champion for his school and Maxime backed him. The French champion would not hear of a second champion because she didn’t want to share the honor. Krum agreed but said it in a way that indicated he wanted school unity instead of not wanting to share the spotlight.”

“What do we do?”

Sirius reentered the room, his face hard. “For now, we wait.”

**Hogwarts**

Things had gone surprisingly well in the last week. For the most part, people were intelligent enough to realize that he didn’t enter his name into the tournament. He wasn’t dead and had his magic so no one with any sense could call him a liar or a cheat. 

There were the exceptions, like Pansy Parkinson. She just liked to run her mouth and try to hurt people she thought beneath her. She could often be heard calling Harry an attention seeking Dark Wizard. Who else could he trick such an old and powerful object?

Fleur continued to be obnoxious. Harry had yet to figure out what her problem was. Aimee had managed to pull him aside and tell him she was sick of the French champion’s attitude and would be speaking to her.

A schedule had been posted in the Great Hall and common rooms. There would be one or two events nearly every week. There were no events currently listed after the second week in December through the first of January; perhaps that would change. The day after the weighing of the wands would be the first academic competition. The three schools would be competing in a competition about Arithmancy, Harry wasn’t sure if he was going to attend all the competitions but figured he should go to the first at the very least. 

Headmaster Dumbledore had handed him his ‘clue’ about the first task. It appeared to be nothing more than a common stone. Just the sort of rock you could find anywhere. He had asked Hermione if she had any idea as to what the clue could mean, her only idea was that perhaps their arena would be made of stone. It was the best any of them could come up with but they were all thinking about it.

Harry’s friends had refused to let him do anything alone. Fred, George, the chasers, Neville, Draco, Fay and Hermione insisted on helping him train. They had started spending evenings in the Come and Go Room improving their spell repertoire. Remus came at least once a week to either perfect their technique or introduce new spells; Harry and his year mates were now very ahead of their class in terms of practical spell work. 

Technically, Harry was now exempt from taking exams. All champions were, sort of. NEWT students would still need to sit their tests if they wanted to apply for a job after school. Cedric and Harry were not in their NEWT year, Cedric being a sixth year and Harry a fourth, but both were still attending classes regularly. Harry did so for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the fact that Hermione was his girlfriend and she would kill him if he slacked off all year. He also thought it would be helpful to continue learning from professors. The only class he thought he might skip from time to time was History of Magic. He had learned more about Wizarding history from Narcissa over the summer than he had from Binns the last few years. Napping was not conducive to learning during a lecture.

“What’s the next step?” Harry asked Blaise as he continued to stir the assigned potion for the day. He had to stir constantly, counter-clockwise, for three minutes.

“The powdered porcupine quills you ground up earlier. We put that in, heat to boiling and then add the sliced leeches I am nearly finished with.”

“Time?”

“Thirty seconds. What time is the Weighing of the wands?”

“Not sure,” Harry counted down the last few seconds and then poured in the correct measure of powder. “They didn’t say what time, they just handed us a sheet with the tournament schedule and the notice just said TBD. We are almost boiling; how many slices of leeches?”

“Already measured out. Well, whenever it is, at least we are almost done with this potion. The leeches are the last active step. It just needs to steep while the leeches dissolve then cool and we are done. It looks like the right color right now, if it turns olive green then we may just get an O on this one.”

The door opened the second Blaise was dropping the leeches into their potion. “Excuse me, Professor Snape,” Colin Creevey’s voice shook a bit as he spoke. “Harry is needed for the weighing of the wands now.”

“Where are you and Mister Zabini at, Mister Potter?”

“We just added the leeches. I was just getting started on cleanup.”

“You are excused. I am sure one of your classmates will help your partner clean up.” Snape met his eyes before turning back to Colin, “Has anyone contacted Mister Potter’s guardians about the press conference?”

“Um, I don’t know Professor.”

He glared slightly, “Miss Granger, do you have that mirror Madam Black gave you?”

“Of course, Professor,” Hermione pulled her mirror tied to one Narcissa had and handed it to the professor.

He nodded at Harry. They had discussed who would be Harry’s guard against the press. All the adults involved thought Narcissa would be best able to handle the sharks. “I will send word to your guardians. I doubt the Ministry remembered to call.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

“I can grab your school bag, Harry.”

“Thanks, Nev.”

“We have to hurry, Harry.” Colin sounded panicked. 

“Lead the way.”

When Harry arrived in the atrium, Narcissa was waiting for him. She had great timing.

She smiled, “I thought it would be best if I spent the day in Hogsmeade seeing as they didn’t think it pertinent to release the time of the event to anyone.”

“Thanks, aunt Narcissa.”

“Come, they are in the trophy room. The Baron told me they thought having trophies in the background would be best for the photos.”

The pair made their way quickly through the castle to the trophy room. They were the last to arrive.

“The blonde in green is Rita Skeeter,” she spoke under her breath, “she is a harpy. Watch out for her. She loves the sensational and outlandish. I suspect that most of what she writes is embellished if not completely false.”

“Is that legal?”

“It depends on who you are and how much money you throw around. You are Harry Potter and I represent the Black family; she wouldn’t dare cross me.” Narcissa grinned evilly. “I don’t know the photographer. I suppose you know the rest?”

“All but the younger man standing next to Krum.”

“I suspect that is his agent or press manager. He is a professional quidditch player and it would be incredibly naive of him to not bring one or the other to a press conference.”

“Ah, good,” Ludo Bagman beamed. “Mister Potter is finally here. Ma’am I am going to have to ask you to leave. This is a Triwizard event, we cannot have outsiders present during champion events.”

“Then you will have to excuse Harry Potter from the press conference and any photos you wish to be published. Mister Potter is a minor and as such will not speak to the press without either myself or my cousin Sirius Black present. Mister Black is currently busy with other matters so I am attending his godson, Mister Potter, as his parental guardian in this instance.”

“But we can’t…”

“Ludovic Bagman, are you going to deny a minor his legal right to adult council while allowing Mister Krum to have his agent present?” Narcissa glared the man down.

“Now, Ms. Black,” Rita sneered, “the Daily Prophet would never dream of printing anything but the truth. We would take care of Mister Potter for you.”

“I wouldn’t trust you to tell the truth about anything, Skeeter. I have read your articles and I can honestly say I am not impressed. You got off light with that fanciful article you wrote in response to my marriage dissolving; never claim to have quoted someone you have never spoken to.”

“The press has no right to speak to Harry Potter, a minor, without the presence of a guardian.” Viktor glared at the reporter. “If you refuse to allow him representation, then I will not speak to the press.”

“Neither will I.” Cedric stepped up to stand next to Harry. 

“Oh, good. Now I will have the entire article all to myself.” Fleur glared at the reporter. She didn’t like the fact that the woman was ignoring her. 

“Enough, Ludo, Rita.” Crouch snarled. “You know Potter is within his rights to have a guardian here for the press conference. If you don’t stop antagonizing his guardian, I will throw you out, Ms. Skeeter. Can we please begin?”

The headmasters directed their students to prearranged chairs. 

“Now for the Weighing of the Wand ceremony.” Crouch began. “Wand crafter and expert, Garrick Ollivander will test your wands to ensure you all have properly working wands for the competitions.”

Ollivander was as creepy as ever. “I think we shall go with tradition and say ladies first.” He reached his hand out for the French champion, “Miss Delacour, might I see your wand.” The old man took the wand, examining it. Harry was amazed he could tell the type of wood and core just by looking and touching. 

Veela hair. Fleur’s wand core was a hair from her Veela grandmother. Harry wondered if her Veela heritage caused her any trouble. Were Veela treated the same as Werewolves or Goblins? Or was it more like Vampires? He would have to talk to Narcissa about it later.

Viktor went next, followed by Cedric. The old wand crafter didn’t have much to say about either. He found Krum’s wand disappointing due to the crafter but it worked just fine. Cedric’s wand got more praise than either of the other of age champions most likely due to the fact that he made it. 

“Mister Potter, if you would.” Harry handed him his wand, hoping he didn’t say anything about anything curious. Harry really didn’t need people to know his wand had a feather from the same phoenix as Voldemort. 

Ollivander didn’t mention the Dark Lord. “It seems I was right, Mister Potter. You are destined for great things.” He slashed Harry’s wand and sparks in a rainbow of colors flew from the wand like mini fireworks. 

“Alright champions,” Crouch pushed through when Ollivander returned Harry’s wand. “I am going to allow Ms. Skeeter to speak to each of you.”

The blonde woman swept forward, “Who shall I speak to first? How about the youngest.”

“I suggest, for the sake of time,” Narcissa interrupted, “that you speak to them all here and now. We don’t have all day, do we? I am sure no one wants to wait around for you to hound Harry for an hour.”

Rita glared. “Alright. If you insist. Mister Potter, what would your parents say about the fact that you cheated your way into the tournament?”

Harry didn’t answer, he just stared at the woman. Oddly enough her quill started writing. 

“Ms. Skeeter, I will not allow you to question my nephew with a Quick Quotes Quill. You will have to hand that sheet of parchment over and find a new quill.” Narcissa glared the woman down. “As for your question, Harry gave a magical oath, something the Ministry is aware of, stating he did not enter the tournament. I suggest you do research before asking ridiculous questions.”

When the reporter didn’t move fast enough, Narcissa flicked her wand causing the parchment and quill to fly to her. “Really, Ms. Skeeter? ‘Young Harry Potter sits proudly, preening under the attention of this reporter, obviously relishing in satisfaction due to his successful entrance into a tournament he should have been barred from.’ Is that what this looks like to anyone here?” Narcissa did not expect an answer. “If I see anything like this printed, I will not hesitate to introduce you to the Black lawyers. I can ruin your career if you even attempt to seamer the Black or Potter names.”

“Must we all focus on a boy who should not be in the tournament?” Fleur rolled her eyes. “There are three champions here that are actually eligible to compete under the presented rules.”

Rita briefly turned her attention to the others, pulling out another quill. Viktor’s companion, who was, in fact, his manager instantly halted the woman. “You will not be using a Quick Quotes Quill to interview Mister Krum either. Find a new quill or we are done.”

It was then that Harry realized she had pulled out an identical acid green quill. Skeeter snarled slightly before pulling out a black quill. 

The interview went fine from there. Harry and Viktor got the most questions and both refused to answer half of them. Harry refused to comment on anything related to Voldemort; Krum told her he would only answer questions about the tournament. That didn’t stop her from asking about what sort of Dark Magic Durmstrang taught or how many young women he took advantage of. Crouch looked like he was going to have an aneurism when she asked those questions.

By the time their press conference ended, Harry wasn’t sure press conferences usually had only one reporter, it was nearly dinner. He insisted on walking Narcissa out; it would ensure that Skeeter could not continue to attack him.

They met Draco in the entrance hall, he was heading toward the Great Hall. “Mother,” he hugged his mother and kissed her cheek. “How are you? Did things go well with the press?”

She smiled at her son, “I am fine, Dragon. The interview went well enough after we expelled with those ridiculous quills she insists on using. I am going to have Siri look into the Prophet just in case. I find their lack of control over Skeeter disturbing.”

“Father did like her, so that is probably a very good idea.” Draco was beginning to be hesitant around anything and everything his father used or said. After finding out his mother was the more honest one throughout his life, he just couldn’t trust anything his father recommended. “I should get to the feast. The others are like vultures if I am not around. I feel bad for Viktor.”

Narcissa raised a brow as her son sped off. “Is it really that bad?”

“Worse.” Harry smirked. He looked over his shoulder at Viktor. “You could always sit at the Gryffindor table. My housemates are more likely to not hound you because they know how much that stuff irritates me. Well, all except for Colin but I don’t know if he will even notice you are there, he really is obsessive about the whole Boy-Who-Lived thing. I don’t even think he knows who you are.”

“We shall see, Harry. If they do not calm down by Monday, I will be joining you. I do not mind the occasional request for an autograph but the constant questions and the witches hanging off me is aggravating after about an hour, and unfortunately it has been going on for a week.”

Narcissa smiled at the two. “You should head to dinner. I think I will have a quick word with some of the professors before I leave. Thank you for walking me down, Harry.”

Harry smiled, “Thank you for coming to support men. Apologize and thank Professor Snape for me.”

She shook her head as he ran off, the quidditch star following in his wake after giving her a slight bow. “Am I really so obvious?”

Severus stepped from the passageway she was standing in. Both Harry and Narcissa had known he was there. “Who else would you speak to?” He placed a hand on her lower back, leading her down the hall toward the door. “How did it go?”

“Harry did very well. I am glad I was there; Skeeter was worse than I expected.”

“She is a favorite of Lucius’s, so that is not unexpected.”

“Draco said much the same. Have you found anything in the rules?”

Severus shook his head. They had all been reviewing the rules independently. Sirius had sent copies to his lawyers, Remus, Bill, Narcissa and Severus. 

The tournament rules were very basic. If your name came out of the goblet, you essentially entered a magical contract. Severus had requested the sheet of parchment to ensure that it was actually Harry’s handwriting; it matched and looked to be torn from one of his essays. Due to the fact that it was a magical contract, Harry had to compete if he wanted to keep his magic. Their next step was looking into what defined competing. Narcissa hoped they could just change the tasks for the first part of the tournament and then have the of-age champions complete the original tasks that were designed later, that would not work. They had submitted the tasks to the Goblet of Fire so each champion was bound to compete in the tasks designed for the tournament.

Remus was the one to suggest that Harry didn’t have to actually do much to be considered a competitor. Of course, that thought didn’t work out either. Each champion agreed to compete to the best of their ability when they entered. The cup would judge whether they put in their best effort during competition so they would have no way to determine what would be considered enough. That inspired Aria’s question about serious injuries. Did they need to continue to compete if they were injured severely? The answer, yes. The Goblet required that they compete unless in a magical coma, that coma could not be healer induced unless it was required for healing. Somehow magic would know that the champion was able to compete. 

The age limit was also not a help. That was put forth by the headmasters. There was nothing in the Goblet’s rulings that would stop an underage participant from entering, that was done entirely by the Headmaster’s age line. When asked why the rule wasn’t changed on a magical level, Crouch said he didn’t see the point as the age line was supposed to be fool proof. 

Harry would have to compete or die at this point.

“No, every time I think I have found an answer, I find a rule that makes that idea invalid. It is like the tournament was designed so that you could assassinate your enemies by luring them in with the thought of glory. There are literally no loop holes I can find short of killing him or giving him the Draught of the Living Dead.”

“And neither of those options is acceptable. Bill reported his Goblin contacts found much the same.”

“We will still look.” He cupped her cheek, holding her gaze. “I swore to protect him.”

“I know.” She leaned into his hand slightly. “I just wish there was more I could do. He is only fourteen, he shouldn’t have to face this alone.”

“He isn’t alone, Narcissa. He is surrounded by friends. The Durmstrang students love him. Hogwarts is mostly behind both him and Cedric. The teachers are looking out for him. He has you, Sirius, Bill and Aria on the outside. You would never let him be alone.”

“He will compete in those tasks alone.”

“And we will do all we can to prepare him. He may not be entirely alone during the tasks anyway. Have you seen Ms. Granger’s notes? They may compete all at once and I don’t see Diggory or Krum letting anything happen to him while in the arena. He will make it out of this.” 

“He has to make it out of this. No more children can be sacrificed to that mad man.” She stepped closer, leaning into him. “Please, look out for them, Severus. Draco was my life for so long. Now I feel like I have more to give. He is still my son and still my life but I don’t know what I would do if we lost any of them. I am even growing fond of those red headed menaces.”

“Bite your tongue.” He pulled her into the circle of his arms while chuckling softly. They were standing in the shadow of the castle as the sun set. The failing light glinting off her pale hair. “I will do all I can.”

She took comfort in the circle of his arms knowing he would never lie to her.

“I will walk you to the Wolf Den.” Severus pulled back when he felt a shiver run through her. The wind was devastatingly cold when night fell. 

They did not speak as they walked. They did not need to speak. When he left her at the doorstep of the Hogsmeade house he kissed her softly before disappearing into the shadows; returning to his charges. 

**Beauxbatons Carriage**

“Okay, Fleur,” Aimee growled. “Enough. I want to know what is going on with you.”

“Whatever are you talking about, Aimee? I am perfectly fine. All I am doing is preparing for the tournament.”

“I am not talking about that. I am talking about your attitude. You are a rather self-absorbed person in general, but you are rarely this cruel and vain. I can handle your ‘I am better than you’ attitude most of the time because you don’t shove it down our throats but right now you are irritating me more than Juliet and Sophia are.”

“Do not exaggerate.” Juliet and Sophia were horrendously irritating most of the time.

“That’s just it, Fleur, I’m not. Juliet and Sophia have both asked me what is wrong with you lately. They wanted to know when you decided you were the queen of the world. You have been spending more time in the mirror than Sophia and more time complaining about everything than Juliet.”

“Did they really?”

“Yes, now talk to me or talk to Nicolette. Please, just talk to someone.”

The taller blonde sighed heavily. “I am sorry, Aimee. I did not know that I was acting so…” she didn’t know how to finish. “I have told you a bit about the stages of a Veela coming into their power, correct?” Aimee nodded. “Well, I reached the last stage over the break. I am having trouble controlling the allure, it takes a great deal of concentration and energy. I find myself at the end of my rope after only a short time around men. Boys are even worse. I suppose I take it out on those who are not affected because they will actually react when I talk to them, not just drool.”

“How bad is it?”

“I have enough control to get out before anyone starts touching.”

“The allure is that strong?”

“It was always supposed to be that strong when I reached full maturity. The previous stages were meant to prepare me but I was told they never really do. Mother hoped I would be out of school before it happened but…”

“So why are you so hard on Harry?”

Fleur didn’t have to ask which Harry, there were a few but she was only awful to one. Harry Potter. “I don’t know,” she shook her head. “Perhaps it is because he isn’t affected and he should be. Krum not reacting does not surprise me; he is famous and his team has Veela dancers at their games. Diggory reacts a bit but then fights it, which I can respect. But Harry Potter doesn’t make sense. He is fourteen and fourteen-year-old boys are rarely mentally stable enough to understand their feelings. Most are ruled by their physical urges. But Harry Potter is mentally stronger than some adults. It shouldn’t bother me. It should be a relief. But instead of being relieved and getting to know him and the other champions, I lash out.”

“Why?”

“You won’t tell anyone?”

“Never.”

“The Veela magic finds him attractive.”

“And.”

“I have to have more?”

Aimee rolled her eyes. “It isn’t like Harry isn’t attractive. Those eyes are amazing.”

“He is fourteen and has a girlfriend that he loves.”

“Okay, those are good points and I can see how that would irritate you.”

“I don’t steal boyfriends. The Veela likes him because he is powerful both magically and mentally. He resists the allure so he is mentally strong and he is one of the most powerful people on the grounds.”

“You can sense that?”

“Yes. The Veela seeks out power, so she is fairly focused on him right now. I saw him with the brunette, they are close, so I would never go there. On top of that, he is only fourteen.”

“You do tend to like older men.” Aimee studied her friend. “So, you're stressed because of the increase in your power and irritated that part of you is after a younger man who has a girlfriend. You are currently taking out your frustration on said boy because he is your main internal irritant. Is that correct?”

“In a nutshell, yes.”

“I understand but you really need to leave Harry alone.”

“I will attempt to meditate. Perhaps I can calm the Veela within for a time. I will apologize to your young friend.”

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you, Aimee. I can’t believe Juliet and Sophia complained about me. I must have been horrible.” The two shivered as one before bursting into laughter. Perhaps things would not be quite so bad in the French contingent. “Now, tell me about your Bulgarian.” 

Aimee blushed before they descended into shameless girl-talk. 

**Come and Go Room**

It had been a long week. 

The first academic competition had had a rather large turnout. Harry suspected that was because it was the first official event of the year. Most had no idea what any of the questions or answers were about. Not many took Arithmancy because it was a rather challenging class.

The Hogwarts team had done well. Each team competed with five students; three All-Around and two expert students. The team captain, Gryffindor seventh year Quinn Hawkins, had led her team well. They had been practicing only a week for that discipline due to when it was announced. The other all-arounds were Samantha Carter and Wendell Fredrick, of Ravenclaw and Slytherin respectively. Ravenclaw’s Holden Isles and Elizabeth Weir were the students chosen for their knowledge in Arithmancy. 

Harry found the whole process confusing. The three teams faced off at once. An Arithmancy master was called in to run that particular round of the competition. She would ask questions and the students would raise their wands if they knew the answer. Only the person who raised their wand and was called could answer. If they got the question right, they got three points, he wasn’t sure why it was three but it was. They also then got the opportunity to answer a bonus question if they got the open, or toss-up question, right. It was during this that they could discuss. When the Judge called time, they had to give their answer. They got a varying amount of points depending on their answer. If they got it wrong, they lost a point and the other team got a chance to answer it, if it was perfect, they got five points; if an important part of the answer was missing, they got less than five but more than zero. 

When the last question was asked, Beauxbatons was in the lead, Hogwarts in second and Durmstrang in last. Beauxbatons had beaten out the other schools for that question and ultimately won that round. 

The tournament really was jam packed. There was something going constantly. Harry and the Griffins had their first interschool game the week after. The Griffins in white faced off against Beauxbatons second team, wearing yellow and calling themselves the Abraxans. Hogwarts crushed the French school.

Their chaser line was phenomenal compared to their French counterparts. Grant Page ended up with a better save percentage than the older French keeper. No school aged beater team would ever beat Fred and George due to their twin connection. And then there was Harry. The Beauxbatons loss would not have been quite as devastating if not for Harry Potter. He was not facing Aimee, she was on the other French team, and he far out classed the Abraxan seeker. Pierre Aube was no match for Harry Potter. 

Harry had him confused from the first minute. Due to their extensive training, Harry played rather aggressively. He was constantly breaking up plays and pulling feints. Though, if you knew him, you would know he was still holding back. Harry caught the snitch after an hour’s worth of play, leading to a Hogwarts victory, 330 to 110.

The only thing Harry was unhappy about, was that he would not get to face Viktor until the last game of the year. When the schedule was posted, each game and match was listed. The Griffins would face the Dragons, Viktor’s team, on Saturday, May 27th 1995\. Draco was both excited and terrified to face off against Krum on November 26th.

Now, it was the day after Harry’s match and he needed to get some training in. 

Angelina was helping the fourth-year students with their dueling and spell repertoire when the twins burst into the rooms’ version of a training room. 

“Harry.”

“We need to show you something.

“It is really important.”

The group stopped and looked at the twins. “I’ll see you later, okay?” Angelina started toward the door.

“It’s okay, Angie. You can stay.”

“Fred’s right, you can stay.”

“What’s going on, Gred, Forge?”

“We received an interesting letter.”

“It was from Bill.”

“Well, it was kind of from Charlie.”

“Right, Charlie sent Bill a letter so he would send us a letter.”

“Get to the point please. Harry really needs to train. We have no idea what the first task is going to be because the only clue he got was a rock.”

“Sorry, Hermione.”

“Charlie told Bill he would be in town for work this week and he wanted to meet up for dinner.”

“He made a point of saying he would be in the area of Hogsmeade and wanted to see if he could see one of the events while he was here.”

“Charlie is going to be in town for work?” Harry asked.

“Yes.”

“And he wanted Bill to let you know that fact?”

“Basically.”

“Well, congratulations, Hermione. You were right. I get to face a dangerous creature in the first task and it just so happens to be a dragon.”

“What are you going to do?”

_“I have a plan brother.”_

The group turned to the sound of hissing. Harry grinned as Rah started in on his plan. This might actually be fun.


	27. On A Field Of Stone

**Hogwarts Grounds**

He was tired. Life in general had been busy around Hogwarts, his in particular. With homework, quidditch, the tournament, and Parselmagic studies, he was running himself ragged. His friends were understanding, and Hermione didn’t really notice because she was there for most of it, but he felt like he wasn’t paying enough attention to those most important to him. He was beginning to miss the simpler times when he didn’t know he was in danger. 

Part of his exhaustion came from Rah’s plan. Parselmagic could be very draining on its own and what he was going to do was challenging. It wasn’t as bad as it could be because of the ambient magic around the school and grounds but he still needed to build up his strength so he didn’t kill himself while casting. 

Then there were quidditch practices. He didn’t have a match for a while, his was in February, but they were still practicing a few times a week. The two teams always practiced together so that they were getting the best competition and training they could. They would play practice games often and, in each game, they would have all three team seekers play, and sometimes Ginny would play as a fourth. There would also be an extra set of bludgers released for added difficulty. It was great training but with everything else, it was starting to irritate him.

It was Wednesday now, after practice and after dinner, and he was headed for Hagrid’s hut. He had gotten an owl at breakfast asking him to visit after dinner and to bring his cloak. He was worried. 

Seeing Madame Maxime and Hagrid step out of the small hut he pulled the cloak around himself. Hagrid was talking rather loudly about wanting to show her something. Harry guessed that the loudness was for his benefit and followed. 

Hagrid led them into the Forbidden Forest, taking a path Harry thought led to a large clearing. If he was right, it would take about ten minutes to walk there, five for someone as tall as Hagrid. 

The forest was generally so dark you could barely see the path but as he followed Hagrid, he could see bright, flickering light in the distance. It looked like fire. Then there were the sounds. The forest was not quiet but what he was hearing was not what usually filled the gloomy forest. Roars of animals far larger than any he had ever encountered here tore through the darkness. If he had to guess, the gentle half giant was probably leading him to the dragons.

Harry dashed into the undergrowth as they approached the clearing so he could get a better look. There they were. Four large, angry dragons. They were both terrifying and beautiful. 

He searched back for the information on dragon breeds he had gotten when grilling Charlie over the summer. He needed to get as many details as he could so he could come up with their breed; knowing the breeds would allow him to plan contingencies for obstacles specific to particular dragons.

The one closest to him he thought was a Common Welsh Green, either that or a Romanian Longhorn. It was green, as both were but he wouldn’t describe it as a dark green so he leaned toward the Welsh Green. Both breeds had two horns on their head but the Romanians were said to be glittery gold and pointed forward, these were not. It also did not appear bulky, and Romanian Longhorns were described as bulky and reminiscent of the triceratops. Lastly, the tail came to a single pointed tip. 

The red one had to be a Chinese Fireball. The lion dragon; smooth scarlet scales with fringed gold spikes. There was no other option he was aware of for that coloring. 

Harry ignored the people running around the clearing and started walking around it so he could get a better look at the other two dragons. He would not waste this chance to gather data. It might just save his life.

The third he studied was a Swedish Short-Snout; no other dragon was described as silver-blue. Ukrainian Ironbelly dragons were metal grey, while Antipodean Opaleyes were pearly, the rest were darker colors or copper. ‘Let’s see,’ he thought, ‘Short-Snouts were supposed to have extremely hot fire that was as blue as their scales. That would be something to watch out for.’ 

Last, but not least, was the dragon that looked black. That could be one of a few species. The only thing he knew for sure was that it wasn’t a Peruvian Vipertooth, those were highly venomous, but thankfully their scales were copper and would never reach that size.

Which dragon was it? Hungarian Horntails and Hebridean Blacks were described as black dragons. Norwegian Ridgebacks were brown with black ridges on their backs. He was fairly certain it wasn’t a Ridgeback, he hoped they were smart enough not to bring a venomous breed. He couldn’t remember which was which in terms of description but he hoped it wasn’t the Horntail; Horntails were supposed to be the most dangerous breed. He knew one had a tail with numerous spikes while the other had an arrow spiked tail. This one was facing him and he couldn’t see the tail clearly. ‘I guess I will have to look up a picture of each and see if I can identify it that way. Or just come up with a plan for each type.’

He turned to leave but stopped. There, near the black dragon was Igor Karkaroff. It looked like three out of four champions would most likely know what they were facing by morning. Harry knew he would need to meet with Cedric and let him know. Then he would track down Krum, just in case.

Harry supposed he should feel guilty for not telling them sooner, he had heard on Sunday after all, but at that moment he really didn’t care. He was fourteen and hadn’t studied dragons; they were seventeen and could have touched on dragons during classes. 

**Great Hall**

It was not uncommon for the Champions to be seen conversing over meals. Many found this odd but Harry’s friends knew it was just Harry being Harry. He didn’t like having rivals and hated having enemies even more, so he worked to befriend everyone; well at least he did now that he had support at home and at school. That morning, Thursday – only two days before the first task, three of the four champions were eating at the Gryffindor table. 

Victor ate with either Harry or Cedric most meals now; he couldn’t stand some of the Slytherins so he had moved. Cedric had joined the Gryffindors at the end of the table closest to the door simply because Harry had asked him to. Harry figured that talking at breakfast, with his friends surrounding them, was the safest time to discuss their task. They would be less likely to draw unwanted attention that way.

“What’s going on Harry?” Cedric knew the boy had something on his mind.

Harry looked at the older boys and took a deep breath. “I got an owl from Hagrid yesterday requesting I visit him. He didn’t want me to be seen so told me to be hidden.” Harry edited the content so as not to divulge the existence of his cloak. “He led Madame Maxime into the Forbidden Forest and I followed. In a clearing fairly deep in the woods, there are four dragons being kept by dragon handlers.”

“Dragons?” Harry could see and hear the shock in Cedric. Viktor was not shocked. 

Harry nodded and continued. “I studied them as best I could and when I was leaving I saw Karkaroff lurking in the trees. I figured that he and Maxime would tell Fleur and Viktor so I thought I should tell you.”

Cedric turned to Viktor and didn’t see any surprise in his eyes. “When did you find out?”

“Karkaroff called me to his office on the ship last night and he told me about the dragons. He told me we would each face a different breed but he did not tell me what the breeds were. He also did not say how we would face them.”

“I don’t know what we will have to do but I do know what breeds they are. Well, I am pretty sure.” The older two looked at Harry, slightly shocked. Dragons were fifth- or sixth-year material depending on who was teaching the class. Harry shrugged seeing their questioning glances. “Charlie Weasley works at the Romanian Dragon Reserve. He stayed with us at the World Cup and spent a few days at the house with us when Mrs. Weasley was in one of her Banshee moods. I asked him about the dragons; he is more obsessed than Hagrid.”

“What breeds?” Viktor wanted to know. He was concerned that the organizers would choose the worst breeds.

“From what I could tell, it looked like a Common Welsh Green, though there is a slight chance that one could be a Romanian Longhorn considering there were Dragon Handlers from the Romanian reserve, but I didn’t think it fit the Longhorns description.”

“I doubt it is a Longhorn. The dragon is rare because of the demand for their horns; they are very useful in potions and highly sought after.” The Bulgarian teen gave his opinion. “The Welsh Green is more likely and is a more docile breed all around.”

Harry nodded, Charlie had said much the same and his research last night had confirmed that. “The next dragon I identified was a Chinese Fireball.”

“Those are rather quick and highly aggressive.” Cedric bit his lip in thought, “it should be more challenging than the Welsh Green.”

“Agreed,” Viktor nodded. “What other breeds?”

“I am concerned about the Swedish Short-Snout. They don’t have as many deaths associated with them as other breeds due to the location of their territories but their fire burns hotter than most. My research tells me they don’t move well on the ground so that will be a plus but if you get burnt…” Harry did not finish his sentence.

“What’s the last one?” Cedric asked. He had nothing to add to that. The organizers were crazy to bring that dragon. Their fire could turn bone to ash in seconds!

“I think it is a Hebridean Black.”

“At least it isn’t a Horntail.” Viktor muttered. “Horntails are the most dangerous. I am also pleased they did not choose one of the venomous breeds.”

“It would have been smartest to bring in an Antipodean Opaleye,” Cedric sighed. He knew quite a bit about dragons due to his father’s job in the Ministry; he was in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He ranted about dragons and dragon sanctuaries a lot. “It’s like they are trying to kill us. If they needed to have a dragon for each champion, they should have chosen the Opaleye over the Short-Snout. Opaleyes are the calmest species.”

“I don’t disagree.” Harry shrugged. “I just know that they are all dangerous and we all need to have plans with concessions to each particular breed.”

Cedric and Viktor nodded. “Thank you, Harry.” 

“I will approach Delacour,” Viktor huffed. He was not pleased with the French champion. “Take care of yourself, my young friend.”

The Hogwarts students watched the quidditch star walk away. “Thank you again, Harry. I think you just saved my life.”

“You’re welcome, Cedric. No one deserves to have an advantage over the competition when lives are on the line.”

**Hogwarts Entry Way**

“Ah,” Professor McGonagall smiled seeing Harry and Cedric approaching. The two had decided to meet up to show a united Hogwarts the morning of the first task. They may be competitors but they could still be friendly. “Good. I would like both of you to come with me. There is something special setup for the champions this morning. We are just going to wait for Miss Delacour and Mister Krum and then we will head to the meeting place.”

They didn’t have to wait long. Viktor joined them only moments later and Fleur entered the castle with a group of other Beauxbatons students about five minutes after him. 

“Now, as I have told you all, something special has been arranged for the champions for breakfast.” Professor McGonagall led them up the Grand Staircase. Harry thought she was leading them in the direction of the Headmaster’s office. “The tournament officials will be there so please, be on your best behavior. You are representing your schools, your countries and your families.”

She passed the stone gargoyle that stood at the bottom of the staircase that led to the Headmaster’s office and walked to a door Harry didn’t remember. Of course, when he was in this particular hall, he was usually going to the Headmaster’s office. Giving them all one last look over her shoulder, professor McGonagall opened the door. 

It was a rather large room with windows lining the entire back wall. There were five round tables set up around the room, all the chairs were empty but there were place settings at each spot. 

There were quite a few people in the room, some Harry recognized, some he didn’t. Obviously, the three Headmasters were in the room. Crouch and Bagman were talking with a man Harry was fairly certain was the British Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge. This assumption led him to the belief that the tall dark-haired man with a goatee was the Bulgarian Minister while the shorter man with the tan was the French minister.

Also, in the room were four groups of people that had to be the champions’ families. He had seen Cedric’s father before, Narcissa liked to point out Department Heads and Wizengamot members whenever they were around, so he knew that the woman next to Amos Diggory was Cedric’s mother. The scowling man and the tiny woman next to him looked a bit like Viktor so they had to be his parents; Viktor and his father had the same scowl. The blond woman and little girl next to her could only be Fleur’s mother and sister so the man holding the little girl’s hand must be her father. Most importantly, Harry saw the people that had become his family. Remus and Aria stood chatting with Narcissa while Sirius sat at their feet wagging his doggy tail. 

Padfoot jumped across the room, barking happily. He stopped right in front of Harry, stood up on his hind legs and licked Harry’s face.

“SIRIUS ORION BLACK!” Narcissa and Professor McGonagall said as one. 

The Grim dropped to all fours and ran behind Harry, whining playfully as the green-eyed boy laughed. A moment later, he felt human hands on his shoulder. “Protect me, Harry. Cissy might kill me. I think I can take Minnie.”

Professor Dumbledore smiled fondly while his Deputy scowled at her former student. “Well, as I am sure you can all see, we are having breakfast with the Ministers of each representative country as well as your families. Thank you, Mister Black, for breaking the ice.” He turned to the Ministers, “Allow me to introduce the French Minister, Renѐ Giroux,” the tan brunet man smiled. “the Bulgarian Minister, Ilya Oblansk.” Dumbledore gestured to the goateed man. “And of course, the British Minister, Cornelius Fudge.”

The adults moved to their assigned tables, leaving the champions standing in the doorway. Mister Crouch had stepped forward so they felt it necessary to remain standing.

“Now, breakfast is served.” Crouch said with false joy. “You will have a chance to mingle when your meal is finished.”

Harry leaned over toward Cedric and Viktor, “Do either of you feel like they have prepared a last meal for us with our families? Should we thank them for the chance to say our goodbyes?”

Viktor grunted, whether in laughter or in agreement; it didn’t matter which.

Cedric grimaced; it was a depressing thought that he could not shake now that it was in his head. He hoped this wasn’t his last meal.

**Hogwarts Grounds – Tournament Stadium**

Harry and Hermione stood in the champion’s tent; she did not want to let go of his hand. She knew the plan and knew he had back-up plans but she was still terrified. Who wouldn’t be when their best friend/boyfriend was facing off against a dragon? 

They had finally figured out how to shrink Rah down for easier transportation. He was considerably shorter and had wrapped around Harry’s left arm under his long-sleeved shirt, his head poking out at the shirt’s collar. The poisonous snake insisted on joining Harry during the task. It would make casting Parselmagic much easier and Rah could help him adjust if their plan went awry. Hermione had checked all the old tournament rules and they never said you couldn’t have help from a familiar during the tasks.

The breakfast had gone well, all things considered. Each of the four champions had been happy to see their families but they had still been a bit subdued. Harry could have sat in that room for hours just listening to the people he thought of as his parents talk about nonsense. It was hard to say goodbye; despite his confidence in his plan, he knew he had horrible luck. 

Remus and Aria could smell his unease. Both werewolves had made a point of reassuring him before leaving. Narcissa had presented him with some dragonhide armor; she had ordered it when Professor Snape announced the tournament to them over the summer. She had purchased a vest, pants and gloves for him. When she left the room, she had hugged him tightly and it was the first time he hadn’t stiffened at all. 

It had been ridiculously hard to say goodbye to Sirius. His godfather had given him a tight hug before pressing a simple, long chained locket against his chest. 

“I know it’s not your style,” Sirius had said quietly as Harry had studied the locket. “But I thought it would help you out there.”

When Harry had opened it to look inside, he found his parents smiling faces looking back at him. He hadn’t known what to say. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway because he wouldn’t have been able to speak. Harry had launched himself at Sirius, holding on tight. 

His parents would be with him when he faced his dragon.

“Are you ready?” Hermione’s voice shook slightly with worry.

“I think so,” Harry held her hand as he waited. He knew Neville and the twins were on the other side of the tent, waiting to escort her to the stands. “I can only plan so much with the information I was given.” They were being careful not to mention what exactly they did know. 

“Does it feel like the Philosopher’s Stone incident?”

Harry grinned, “Yeah, a lot like that. I just hope I don’t run into Voldemort at the end of this. He really isn’t great company.” Neither could laugh at the terrible joke. Both guessed that at some point Voldemort would show. Who else wanted him dead with that kind of power? 

“Please be careful, Harry.”

The green-eyed champion pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her temple. “I will do all I can. I don’t want to let them beat me.” Rah hissed, causing Harry to smile and relate his message, “Rah says that he and I haven’t known each other long enough for him to let me get hurt. Apparently, we still have a lot to do still.”

Hermione reached over and stroked the snake's head, “Take care of him, Rah.” Pushing up onto her toes, she kisses Harry lightly on the lips, blushing. Embarrassed and terrified, she fled.

The main tent flaps opened just after Hermione left. Crouch and the Headmasters entered, smiling. “Good afternoon, champions,” Crouch attempted to sound excited like at breakfast but Harry thought it sounded rather fake. “The first task of the Triwizard tournament is about to begin. You were given a stone as a hint to the task.” He waved his wand and a small model appeared between the students. “This is the area you will be competing in. Each of you will attempt this task alone.” 

As Harry and Hermione had guessed, the area was a rocky, mountain terrain. There were a few cave-like structures and many levels. He wondered how important the arena’s makeup would be.

“You will each need to find four eggs hidden within the area. The eggs are different colors, some more difficult to see than others. Now, the challenging part is that the area will be guarded by a dragon.” He paused for dramatic effect. The champions each reacted as if they didn’t already know what they would face; it wasn’t that difficult, facing a dragon would always cause school students unease. “Fear not, you do not necessarily have to battle the beasts.” Crouch continued. “Each of you will face a different dragon so that no one has an advantage depending on when they enter the arena.”

“Are the dragons male or female?” Viktor asked when Crouch stopped to breathe.

He scowled, “They are all male. We had hoped to get nesting females but the Dragon Reserve refused.” While Crouch was irritated by this fact, the champions were relieved. Female dragons, nesting mothers in particular, were more vicious than males. A male dragon was bad enough, facing a nesting female was tantamount to suicide.

Crouch pulled a bag from his cloak, “In this bag are four models for the dragons you could face. You will each draw one to learn your species and the order you will compete.” He turned to Fleur, “Ladies first.”

The French girl took a deep breath and reached into the bag. She gave an almost imperceptible sign of relief when she pulled out the Common Welsh Green with the number one around its neck. 

Crouch shoved the bag toward Viktor next. The tall Bulgarian pulled out a blue dragon with a large three around its neck. He would be facing the Short-Snout. Viktor had mentioned to Harry that he would rather face the dangerous Swedish dragon than allow Harry to face it. They had decided that the heat of that dragon’s flame made it the most dangerous of the four species.

Cedric would be going second and would be facing the other dragon native to the British Isles. The Hebridean Black miniature tried to bite the Hufflepuff’s hand as he handled it.

Harry knew he would be the last to compete, he wasn’t too happy about that; he wanted to get this over with. Reaching into the bag he pulled out the final dragon, the lovely, aggressive Chinese Fireball. He supposed it could be worse but at that moment he couldn’t come up with how. The Lion Dragon was nearly as dangerous as the Swedish Short-Snout because it was extremely clever and fast. Harry’s skills and knowledge would be tested facing the oriental dragon.

“We will begin in ten minutes, to give you a few minutes to prepare. You will be first, Miss Delacour. The rest of you will not be able to watch because we want you to come up with your own plans. You will each have twenty minutes to complete this task.”

“You said we had to retrieve four eggs,” Harry called at their backs as Crouch and the Headmasters began to leave. “Are they live dragon eggs or just egg-shaped objects?”

“They are magically created to resemble dragon eggs.”

“What happens if we don’t find all the eggs within the twenty-minute window?” Cedric asked. He too wanted more details.

Crouch sighed, “The eggs will contain clues to help you prepare for the second task of the tournament. If you don’t find all the clues you may not be able to fully prepare for that task. You will also not be eligible to receive full points for the task.”

“What colors are the eggs?” 

Crouch frowned at the French champion. It seemed like the questions irritated him. “The eggs are the same colors as the dragons; green, black, blue and red. They are also different sizes and shapes. The largest is the size of a quaffle while the smallest is twice the size of a Remembrall.” 

The officials quickly rushed out of the tent, stopping the contestants from asking any more questions.

“Well, this will be fun.” Cedric’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “It’s like they didn’t want to tell us anything about the task.”

“I do not think he cares if we live or die.” Viktor scowled at the tent entrance. “Your Crouch is not a nice man.”

“Thank you, Harry Potter,” Fleur looked at the younger boy, “I am glad we are not searching for real eggs. I would hate to have damaged one of the eggs and later find out it was a dragon egg. Your question means I can face the dragon with no fear of killing.”

…

The tent was magically shielded from the sounds of the stadium. They did not hear the sounds of the crowd or the roar of the dragons. Fleur lasted the full twenty seconds. They knew that because it was thirty minutes before Cedric was called.

A dragon handler had come to inform them it would take ten minutes to transport the dragons. He gave them unneeded warnings about the danger of dragons. Don’t get burnt, don’t get bitten, don’t get squished. That was all you really needed to know. Don’t get eaten was left unsaid. 

Cedric also ran the full time; at least that is what they calculated. 

Viktor wished Harry luck before he left the tent, following the runner who told the contestants when they were ready for them. 

And so, Harry was alone.

_“It will work out, brother.”_

_“I know, Rah. With you there I will be fine. I just hope I don’t drain too much energy with the spell.”_

_“We discussed this. Use the school’s wards. They are powerful and designed to protect children. You will not drain them by channeling them for a few seconds.”_ Rah’s tongue flicked against the skin of Harry’s neck. _“Do you remember the wording?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“I want you to summon my brethren when the task begins.”_

_“Scouts?” Harry guessed. He’d had the idea of allowing snakes to search the arena for him, allowing him to concentrate on distracting the dragon._

_“Yes. Do you need help with wording?”_

_“There is a wizard’s spell that can conjure a snake.”_

_“Use the true language. They will be more in tune with you and less disoriented if their own language is used to summon them.”_

_“How many? Should they be real or magic based?”_

Rah hissed in thought. _“Magic based, that way we are not killing ones of my race. Twelve, create twelve so that you have extras if the dragon destroys them.”_

…

He took a deep breath as his name was called. The crowd was wild. He hazarded a guess that was a good thing; they couldn’t be that excited if someone had been seriously injured, right? 

Harry gripped the locket hanging around his neck briefly before shoving it under his shirt. “Watch over me, mom and dad.” 

Taking that last few steps into the arena, he spied his opponent. The Chinese Fireball looked agitated. It was standing atop the highest point of the rocky field, his head swiveling this way and that while it swiped its tail to cover the area behind. Harry could see the dragon’s massive wings shift.

 _“I think it is time to begin, brother,”_ Rah hissed over the din. 

Taking a calming breath, Harry raised his wand and began. _“Form twelve of the chosen children that hide among the rocks.”_ Conjuring magical snakes was different than conjuring every other species. One did not say snakes for that would be an insult to their legacy. No, they were the chosen. He had pictured what he wanted in his mind, hoping they would end up the size and coloring he needed.

Twelve snakes formed at his feet, nearly blending in with the stone he stood on. Perfect. _“Search. There are four eggs hidden among the stone. They are different colored and could be anywhere. They should be red, blue, black and green. If you find one, report back and mark the location.”_ Harry hissed and the snakes instantly dispersed, heading out into unknown territory. 

It was at this point that the Fireball noticed him. The scarlet beast shot a spurt fire at him, in the shape that named the dragon. Harry dodger, diving to the side. He rolled and turned to see what happened to the angry ball of dragon fire. The orange flames hit an invisible wall and dispersed. ‘Good,’ he thought, ‘the arena is magically shielded.’

The dragon was not done. He shot another plume of fire at Harry. This time he did not dodge. _“Shield of water.”_ Harry knew his best shield would be one that turned into cover. The ball of fire hit a wall of water that formed in front of him. The water and fire mixed, instantly forming a thick pocket of steam; Harry used that to his advantage. He was pleased with the result; this had been one of his contributions to the plan. 

_“Ready, brother?”_ Rah asked from the confines of Harry’s robes.

 _“Ready.”_ It was time to implement their ultimate plan. He just hoped it worked. 

Charlie had talked a lot about dragons over the summer, he was obsessed and loved his job. The second oldest Weasley could talk about the dangerous creatures for hours on end. It was because of this obsession that Harry knew some of their secrets. 

Dragons had exceptional eyesight. They could see for miles which aided in their hunting. There was one slight problem with this however, they had difficulty looking into bright sunlight. Sunrise and sunset could be problematic for the beasts because the sun was no longer above them. This was Harry’s ace.

Pointing his wand at the sky, Harry spoke his first regular spell. “SOLARIS MAXIMA.” 

A blinding light formed in the space above his mist hiding place. Dashing toward the side, Harry jumped down to a lower level of the arena. The dragon had now lost sight of him; and it was angry. The Chinese Fireball roared and started shooting balls of fire toward where Harry had been standing. 

_“Form one illusion of a black spiked dragon.”_ Harry heard the gasps of the crowd as he looked up. The flare of light was gone but now there was an angry looking Hungarian Horntail facing off against the Chinese Fireball.

 _“Roar and retaliate.”_ Harry instructed the illusion and smirked when the Horntail and Fireball snarled and roared at each other. 

_“One is near, speaker.”_ One of the conjured snakes slithered up to him. “ _Follow and you will find an odd green egg.”_

‘Perfect,’ he thought and followed the snake. It led him to a small crevasse a few feet above the small ledge he was walking on. Finding hand and foot holds, Harry carefully scaled the wall and reached into the fissure. The snake had entered and started to push the egg toward him. In only a few seconds, the egg was in his hand.

Dropping to the ledge, Harry conjured a bag with four compartments using Parseltongue and placed the mid-sized egg within. 

_“Above you!”_ hissed one of the snakes. 

Harry looked up only to find a boulder falling toward him. “BOMBARDA!” he shouted, pulverizing the rock.

_“I have brought an egg, Speaker.”_

Harry searched and found the snake who spoke. The gray snake was slithering along a ledge about ten feet above him, just under the lowest level of spectators. His sentry had a bulge just behind its head; it had swallowed the egg!

 _“Form a rock bridge between me and the chosen child I see.”_ Harry could feel his magic flowing from him as a rock bridge formed; it even had stairs so that the climb wasn’t as steep. He quickly ran up the thin path and then allowed the magic to disperse. 

The little snake had vomited the egg back up so that Harry could retrieve it and place it in his pocketed bag. The snake had found the little black egg. It would have been very difficult to see due to size and coloring had the little snake not found it for him. 

He was now level with where he had started but halfway across the field at the outer edge. The Chinese Fireball was blasting his illusion with fireball after fireball. His Hungarian Horntail was losing definition now. Each blast of fire caused it to look less like the dangerous black dragon and more like a black blob. 

Slashing his wand, Harry allowed the Parselmagic illusion to disappear.

“Tempus.” Harry whispered the spell and saw that seven minutes had passed. Not bad, he was half way done with more than half the time left. 

_“It is time to go on the offensive, brother.”_ Rah flicked Harry’s neck with his tongue as a sign of comfort. 

_“I know.”_ Harry had hoped to find three eggs before having to go on the offensive. He crouched down and spoke to the two snakes near him. _“Find your brothers. If an egg is found, try to remove it from its hiding spot. If you can’t, send a message quickly and I will send a creature that can carry it.”_

During their planning time, Harry and Rah had decided that their best course of action would be to distract the Fireball with an equally fierce dragon. They could not conjure another Fireball because Fireballs were the most tolerant of their own breed, so they chose the most dangerous and territorial type. Eventually, the illusion would break down and they would need to focus on the dragon. When that happened, they needed to have the eggs come to them. Snakes could do a lot but they may not be able to carry quaffle sized things so he may need to conjure a different creature. He hoped Neville liked his trick.

…

In the stands, the other Champions watch in awe as they were thoroughly trounced by a fourteen-year-old wizard. Harry was doing things that they didn’t think they could have managed now, let alone three years ago. 

“How did he conjure an illusion of a Hungarian Horntail?” Cedric asked no one in particular. He was sitting forward in his chair as his back was covered in burn paste. The Hebridean Black had caught him once; he hadn’t dodged fast enough so the back his robes had caught fire. To save his skin, he had ditched the burning material and ended up in just a smoking under shirt. His back wasn’t so much burned by fire as by extremely heated air. 

Cedric had transfigured animals to distract his dragon. The first had been a few dogs that had run around making noise and dodging the dragon. One had been squashed, the other had been smacked aside by the dragon’s tail, which sent it toward the warded barrier. 

The birds had been burnt. The cow had been eaten, as had the goat. 

Cedric had only managed to find three of the four eggs within the timeframe because his distractions never lasted long. 

“I do not know. I did not hear a spell, all I heard was hissing.” Viktor was impressed. The young man was right on time with his own attempt. At the halfway mark he had had two eggs as well. 

Viktor had decided to calm the dragon by heating the stone it was resting on. Like Harry’s dragon, the Swedish Short-Snout had been perched atop the middle mound. Viktor had dropped to the lower ledge and circled around, checking nooks and crannies as he went. Finding the black egg had been lucky. When he reached the central area, he had used a number of fire conjuring spells to heat the rock the dragon was surveying from. The cold-blooded creature had relaxed with the additional heat under its belly. 

He had managed to find three of four doing this. Unfortunately, he had caused a small rock slide while pulling the large blue egg from its resting place, which drew the dragon’s attention. 

It had been a battle from there. 

The eyes were the most vulnerable point of the dragon so he had aimed there. Stunners, the Conjunctivitis Cruse, and more. He also aimed at the rock, hoping to destabilize the ground beneath it. He had found his final egg with only a minute to spare. His injuries were from rock shrapnel flying at him during their battle.

“I underestimated him.” Fleur frowned. 

She had only found three eggs, like the other Hogwarts champion and she knew this boy would find all four.

She had put her dragon to sleep. The process involved enchanting her voice and singing a lullaby. It had worked for a while, all of twelve minutes. The only problem was, the process took a long time and she had to stop every so often to sing some more. At twelve minutes, she had only two eggs and her spell was failing. 

She had panicked from there. The dragon was irritated so was shooting fire at her, so she had shot fire back while running away. The only problem was, she had used Veela fire. She had completely forgotten her wand and started blasting the dragon with fireballs from her hands. Her performance had not been impressive once her spell had failed. 

Luckily, she was uninjured. Her skirt had caught fire a few times, but she had put those fires out quickly enough to avoid any pain.

…

Taking a running jump, Harry landed on the central rock formation, slightly under the mound the Fireball had been sitting on at the beginning. It had left its perch when the trespassing dragon had disappeared.

Harry hit the mound of rock with another Bombarda and then banished the pieces toward the dragon. 

“Accio Bolder,” Harry shouted pointing his wand at a loose bit of stone behind the dragon. As it was supposed to, the bolder came to the one who summoned it. Unfortunately for the dragon, it was standing between the bolder and Harry so the bolder smacked into the dragon’s back as it was preparing to shoot a ball of fire at his small opponent. 

Harry kept moving, never staying in one spot for more than a moment. _“Bindings of the chosen, restrict my enemy.”_

As they had on two separate occasions now, silver snakes shot from his wand and wrapped around their intended target. Sensing his foe was larger than most, five large snakes had flown from his wand. They wrapped around the dragon before shooting their heads and tails into the stone, locking the dragon in place. One wrapped around the dragon’s snout, closing its mouth.

Harry ran to the opposite side of the arena searching for his snakes, ignoring the menacing growls emanating from the chained dragon. After a quick glance, he found three snakes rolling the blue egg along the stone ground. “Accio blue egg.” Harry shouted but nothing happened. He had suspected they could not be summoned but it was always good to check. Rah had thought they might be able to summon them if they were visible but again, no go. 

_“Wrap around the egg, I will summon you to me.”_ He shouted to the snakes. He hoped he could summon the snakes and the egg would come with. The three snakes wrapped around the egg and each other, nearly obscuring the egg from view. “Accio three snakes.” Harry sighed with relief as the ball of snakes and egg flew toward him. 

_“HALT.”_ He called in Parseltongue when the ball was nearly to him causing the bundle to freeze in mid-air. Harry grabbed the bundle and lowered it to the ground. _“Thank you, brothers. Has the final egg been found?”_

_“Yes, brother speaker. But our brothers cannot dislodge it.”_

_“I can fix that. Show me where.”_ Harry picked up the snake and ran to the edge. The snake directed him to the small cave the final egg was in. There was plenty of room to move but the egg was locked in place. 

_“Form, king of the apes and heed my commands.”_ A large silver backed gorilla appeared beside him after a moment. He panted slightly. He was losing strength quickly. Conjuring snakes with Parseltongue took little energy. Dragon illusions weren’t bad either because they were cold blooded like snakes. Mammals on the other hand, were hard. The bigger they were, the more energy they required.

“Go to the cave that snakes guard and retrieve the red egg within.” The gorilla grunted before flying off the ledge and running toward the cave. 

_“Brother, he broke the bindings!”_

Harry whirled. The Chinese fireball had indeed broken free of most of the bindings. The one that remained would not last long. The dragon clawed the snake chain from its snout and sent a ball of fire toward him. _“Chosen children, shield me.”_ Harry screamed in Parseltongue. The silver shield formed just in time, absorbing the burning flame with a series of angry hisses. 

He was running out of time. 

_“What should I do now, Rah?”_

_“What about conjuring a large snake? That wouldn’t drain you as much as any other magic you could cast right now. You could send a basilisk to fight for you. The King of Snakes should scare a measly dragon.”_

Harry snorted at his snake's poor attempt at humor. _“I guess that could work. As long as it can’t kill anyone through eye contact. Oh, and dragons should never be described as measly.”_

_“If you are going to do something, do it now. The shield is about to fail.”_

_ “Come to me King of the Chosen Race. Defend your brother from the beast of scale and fire. Shield your eyes’ killing gaze so none may perish under your judgement.” _

Harry slumped as the mighty snake appeared before him. It was just as terrifying as the one Professor Snape killed over a year and a half ago. This one was male though, which was obvious due to the red plume on its head.

The dragon roared and the giant snake hissed. The Chinese Fireball attacked first. His Basilisk was engulfed in ball after ball of fire. All Harry could do was watch and wait. 

A few seconds later, the gorilla ran toward him, the egg clutched in one of its large hands. “Good job.” Harry took the egg from the large ape and then climbed on its back. “Get me out of here!”

The gorilla ran toward the exit with the teenager clinging to its back. As they were crossing the threshold, Harry waved his hand and the Basilisk disappeared.

…

Harry was hustled into the medical tent the second his gorilla disappeared. Madam Pomphrey frowned at him and pointed at the cot nearest her. The fourteen-year-old sat on the cot without argument, partially because it would not matter, but mostly because he was exhausted. That last shield had taken a lot out of him. Battling dragon fire with only his own magic was crazy. Had he cast a regular shield, and not a Parselmagic shield, he would be dead.

“I don’t think I was injured,” he smiled sheepishly.

“That would be a first for you, Mister Potter,” she quipped while waving her wand. The diagnostic charm did not take long to finish, which was encouraging. “It seems you were correct, Mister Potter. I cannot find any physical injuries. You are, however, on the brink of magical exhaustion.” 

She handed him a potion that he took without argument. “That was a Pepper-up potion. I want you to take it easy for the rest of the day and get to sleep early tonight. You are also not allowed to do magic for forty-eight hours at least. You will come to the Hospital Wing Monday morning, before breakfast, and I will evaluate how you are doing then. Do you, or Miss Granger have any questions?”

Harry looked over to see his blushing girlfriend peeking into the tent. He shook his head, “No, I think I’ve got it, Madam Pomphrey.”

“Good, then they will want you to head back out there for your scores.”

“Thank you, Madam Pomphrey.”

“You did well, Mister Potter. You should be very proud of yourself.”

He grinned as he walked out of the tent.

“You have to get back in there, Harry.” Hermione said while giving him a hard hug. “I am so proud of you. That was amazing.”

“How did the others do?”

“They haven’t announced any scores yet. You did the best though. Cedric and Fleur only got three eggs and Viktor got four but it took him longer.”

He kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you after all this madness is over.”

She nodded and pushed him back out into the arena.

“Harry, that was incredible,” Cedric grinned running up to him. “I don’t even know how to describe what you did.”

“You out preformed me, that is for sure,” Viktor nodded. He was under no illusions as to who did the best out there. The quidditch star had not seen the other two face their dragons because they did not get all four eggs. He had but Harry had done it faster, with more magic, and completely uninjured.

Fleur smiled at him. “You have made me eat my words. I will remember not to judge a person by their age anymore.”

Harry did not get a chance to respond. 

“Weren’t they great?” Ludo Bagman yelled. The audience erupted into applause. “Now for the scores.” He turned toward the judges. “Judges, we will start with Miss Delacour as she went first.”

One by one the judges pointed their wands straight up, and a number appeared.”

Bagman put up an 8.

Madam Maxime put up an 8.

Igor Karkaroff displayed a 6.

Crough decided to give her a score of 7, as did Professor Dumbledore.

“So, there you have it, the Beauxbatons champion is awarded 36 points. Now for the scores for Mister Diggory.”

Bagman gave Cedric an 8 as well.

Madam Maxime graded him with a 7.

Karkaroff presented him with a 5.

Crouch decided to award Cedric with a 6 while Dumbledore gave him a 7.

“Okay, that places Cedric behind Miss Delacour with a grand total of 33.” The Hogwarts students booed for a moment. They were not happy with the fact that their champion was not in the lead. “Next, of course, is Mister Viktor Krum.”

Bagman’s wand flashed with a 9, a moment later, so did Madame Maxime’s.

Crouch decided on an 8.

Karkaroff flashed a 10, that just so happened to be accompanied by golden sparks.

Dumbledore displayed an 8.

“Durmstrang passes his opponents with a 44. Last, but certainly not least, we have Mister Potter.”

Grinning, Bagman awarded the young Hogwarts student with a 10.

Madam Maxime and Crouch both gave Harry nines.

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling, and displayed his own 10.

Last was Karkaroff. He frowned but finally raised his wand and displayed a 7. 

“Isn’t that a bit low Karkaroff?” Bagman scowled. “Well at least you didn’t score him the lowest that would be obvious and grounds to bar you from further judging. Anyway, despite Karkaroff’s obvious bias, Mister Potter will end in first place with a grand total of 45 points. Though I honestly don’t see why he didn’t get a perfect fifty.”

“Ludo,” Crouch frowned. 

The former quidditch beater just grinned. “Well, ladies and gentleman that brings us to the end of the first task of the Triwizard tournament. The next task will be held on the third Saturday of January. Thank you all for coming.”

Crouch and the Headmasters walked to the champions while Bagman talked to the crowd. 

“You have now completed your first of seven tasks. We will hold a press conference in a few minutes but, before that, I will explain your eggs.” He did not smile as he spoke. “Each egg will open. They all have different clues that will inform you about the second task. The clues may not seem to be related but they all are in a way. If you did not get all four eggs then you are at a disadvantage as you have one less clue, but there is no guarantee that your competitors will decipher all of their clues by the next task. I suggest you do not delay in trying to figure them out and remember to think creatively."


	28. Emotional Egg-centricities

**Beauxbatons Carriage**

She should feel relief. Tension and fear had been her constant companions since Madame Maxime had told her she needed to face a dragon. For the first time, she had understood Harry Potter and his negative attitude toward the tournament. Fleur Delacour had found his insistence that he did not enter and did not want to compete odd. It was obvious he did not enter, magical oaths did not lie, but why wouldn’t he want to enter? Who wouldn’t want the money? Who would turn down the chance at eternal glory?

Well, now she understood. The young adult had to contemplate her own mortality for the first time in her life because of this opportunity for fame and fortune. She was not ready to die and yet her first thought upon hearing what her opponent would be was ‘I am going to die.’ If she was afraid of losing to a dragon, then a fourteen-year-old would have to be petrified. 

The first task was over now. They had all been lucky, though the only one who looked truly competent during the task was the one who should have been the most challenged. Harry Potter had told Viktor the types of dragons and Krum had passed the message on to her; from that moment, she had hoped to end up facing the Welsh Green. Fleur had been relieved when her wish came true. Things had not gone as planned, but she doubted she could have done any better. Had her dragon been a more vicious breed, she probably would have failed. Like her, Krum and Diggory had done well but had had moments of desperation during the task. But not the young man she had called a boy because of her anger over her internal struggles. 

Harry Potter had shown them all. The fact that he was a Parseltongue surprised her but not as much as his willingness to openly use the gift. She was not a prejudiced person about such things, she was a Veela after all, but his gift was more feared than her heritage was revealed. 

It had taken them a while to figure out he was using Parseltongue. The answer had come from the audience. Mutterings of Parseltongue and passed from person to person until Cedric Diggory had overheard them.

“I forgot he could speak Parseltongue,” the Hogwarts champion had muttered. 

She and Krum had been shocked, but the new information explained a few things. The hissing they could all hear due to the enchantments around the arena was him speaking the serpent language. Fleur would have to compliment him on his choice to freely use his feared gift if she had the chance. 

Now, a day later, she was greatly impressed with the youngest champion and still terrified she was going to die in this tournament. But that was not her only issue. Fleur Delacour was also extremely frustrated. This frustration had nothing to do with the tournament and, thankfully, nothing to do with the youngest Hogwarts Champion.

The Headmasters had organized a celebration after the task. All students and audience members were invited to the evening feast in the Great Hall. The tables changed, instead of their House tables, the room was filled with round tables that seated a dozen. Students and visitors mixed freely during the extravagant feast; afterwards they mingled. Fleur had been hounded with well-wishers and congratulations for most of the night which is why she never managed to track Him down.

She had no idea who He was, she had just seen him walking through the hall while a drooling moron had lavished her with compliments. After seeing him once, she had searched for him for the rest of the night. And yet, every time she thought she had found him she was faced with a different person with his shade of red hair. 

First was the young girl sitting at one of the tables. Then the loud boy who shouted about the greatness of the Chudley Cannons. She had also run into a man only slightly older than herself with glasses who she thought was Crouch’s assistant and then twins she knew were Harry Potter’s friends. How many people in the school had the same shade of red hair?

By her estimation, seven. She had seen seven people with that shade of red and the only one she could not find was the one she had been looking for. The last person with that hair color she spoke to was actually one of the dragon handlers. Charlie Weasley was an interesting man. She had been flattered when he asked in depth questions about her technique with the dragon. Apparently, he thought it was a useful technique and he was interested to see if he was capable of using it. Sleeping dragons were easier to deal with, she couldn’t argue with that.

Charlie was not who dominated her thoughts, however. She never did manage to find him again. Aimee had found her, saw her frustration and ended up telling her the man’s name. Bill Weasley. Fleur hoped he would come back for another event. 

Sighing, she grabbed the bag holding the eggs she had retrieved from the arena. The French Champion had found the brightly colored eggs but had not found the black egg. Cedric Diggory had not found the small green egg. She was envious of Viktor Krum and Harry Potter. If they were going to survive this death trap, they were going to need a lot of luck and right now, those two had the best chance of not dying. It was time to start studying.

Pulling out the blue egg, she got down to work. Flipping the latch at the top, she opened the egg. A second later she slammed the egg closed again to stop the awful screeching. What in the world could that be?

**Black Lake**

He should be practicing. The second quidditch match of the inter school competition was six days away and he had not practiced at all the week before due to his tournament preparations. He should be practicing because he was supposed to lead his team to victory in six days but, for the first time in his life, there was something more important that quidditch. For the first time, he was scared for his life. 

The first task had been illuminating. Like the other students who intentionally entered the Triwizard tournament, he was excited for the possibility to compete in the ancient event. Unlike most, he was not really interested in the money or the eternal glory; for him, it had been about proving that he was not just a great Seeker. Viktor Krum wanted to show people that he was also strong and intelligent.

Unfortunately, he was fairly certain that his entrance only proved his own stupidity. How had he not realized that this tournament could bring about his death? The rules may have been changed and the tasks supposedly altered to be less dangerous but that didn’t mean there was no danger at all. Honestly, he wasn’t sure they had actually done anything to lessen the danger. Dragons were one of the most dangerous creatures in the world! 

Viktor had not been blinded by young Harry Potter’s age the way most were. Part of his acceptance of the boy came from flying with him. What most people didn’t realize was that only those with power could use a broom the way he and the Potter boy did. You may not need much power to use a broom but to push it to its limits you needed strength. A gifted flier who flew with unimaginable speed was always above average magically. They used their magic to supplement the broom’s power, pushing it beyond its limits. There was no rule against it, mostly because there was no way to prevent it. There was a reason that seekers tended to be the most magically skilled individuals on teams. 

Despite his inside information into Harry’s potential, he had still been blown away. Parseltongue. The boy was incredible and he doubted anyone realized just how much he could do. Viktor was even more excited to face him on the pitch, unfortunately, that was months away and they had five other tasks to survive before he would get his chance. Upon first seeing the quidditch schedule, he had thought facing Harry in the final match was a great end to the tournament, now he feared one or both of them would not survive to play in the match. 

Squaring his shoulders, he grabbed the red egg from where he had dropped it. Viktor could not take Karkaroff’s constant presence so he had escaped to the sandy shorts of the Black Lake to contemplate and study. Despite having a match in a few days, he needed to focus on the tournament. Figuring out the clues now would give him more time to prepare his strategy. 

The red egg was large, the largest of the four. He found a seam running around the middle of the egg which indicated that when opened, he would have two halves of a sphere. Slowly, he turned the top half and pulled it off. Laying inside the bottom half he found a faceless doll.

**Hufflepuff Common Room**

Herbert Fleet, call him Herbert and suffer the consequences, flopped down into one of the chairs around the fire in the Hufflepuff Common Room. His best friend and roommate Cedric Diggory was sitting in the chair next to his, staring at his hands. “Talk to me, Cedric, you haven’t been yourself lately. I thought getting the first task over with would fix this but you are worse today then you were yesterday morning.”

“I’m fine, Fleet.” Cedric didn’t really want to talk about his issues.

“Sure you are, that is why you are ignoring the lovely Miss Chang and have been moping in here all day. It is completely normal for you to allow your fan girls to sit there drooling and taking pictures.” Fleet grinned at Cedric’s annoyed glance. “I know you, Ced. We have roomed together for over five years. you have been my best friend for almost as long and you were my quidditch captain last year. You need to talk and I am not leaving until you do.” 

The Hogwarts champion huffed in annoyance. “Fine. I am frustrated. I don’t know what I am doing in this tournament and I am embarrassed that I lost to a fourteen-year-old.”

“Okay. Let’s take this one thing at a time. You lose to Harry all the time so get over it.”

“I lose to him on the pitch, Fleet. I should have the upper hand magically.”

“Cedric, Harry Potter is both overestimated and underestimated at the same time. We treat him like our savior because he didn’t die and then he is evil incarnate the next minute. Do you remember that stupid dueling club?” Cedric nodded warily. That dueling club had been a complete waste of time. “Good. That night we learned something about Harry Potter, he is a Parselmouth. What did we do about that? Labeled him evil and only realized that was stupid when Granger turned up petrified.”

“Your point?”

“Just because he was born with the ability to speak to snakes does not make him evil.”

“I know that, Herbert.” He intentionally used his friend’s first name to irritate him. “What is your point?”

The keeper ignored the use of his first name, “My point is, we don’t know anything about his ability because we are afraid of it. I think Harry had the advantage yesterday because it gave him more spells to work with than he would generally have for someone his age. In truth, he should barely know the summoning charm and shouldn’t know the banisher at all yet and he used both. I know he is ahead of his year because of that alone but he still isn’t at our level. Parseltongue probably shortened the gap.” Fleet laughed somewhat hysterically, “What did you expect? As far as most of the school is concerned, Harry is only good at flying, do you think he would have done well flying his broom around that arena?”

“Well, that is a terrifying thought. Who in their right mind would try to outfly a dragon?”

“Exactly, and slightly off topic, but did you notice that the only destructive spell he cast was a regular spell that you and I could cast? All his Parseltongue spells were illusions, search methods, or distractions. Of everything he cast in there, the only thing that could be classified as dangerous was the blasting hexes everyone understood.”

Cedric nodded somewhat reluctantly. “I can agree to that but I still lost to him. I am one of the top students in the school and Harry has average grades.”

“Harry has average written scores; rumor is that he is one of the top practical students in his year and the top student in defense.”

“And you know this because?”

“Susan and Hannah talk loudly.” Fleet grinned. “Some people don’t do well on paper, Ced, I am one of them. I am better with the physical parts of magic and you know it. Harry and I are alike in that sense. You need to get over your embarrassment, Harry beat all of you. You also need to consider the fact that he almost worked himself into exhaustion. He rode the gorilla out of the arena and fell asleep about half an hour into the party last night. Fred and George carried him out of the Great Hall.”

This was true. Harry had finished his dinner and just sat at the table after his food had been cleared away. Cedric had watched Harry’s family leaving and looked for him only to see him asleep, his head pillowed on his arms, with Granger playing with his hair. 

“I’ll work on it, but you know I am not as secure in my abilities as I lead people to believe. I don’t like to lose. I am getting over losing to Harry on the pitch, mostly because I only lose to Harry, but I still hate it. Yesterday I placed last.”

“You only placed last because you were injured and Delacour wasn’t. You did good Cedric. Your House was impressed with you as was your school. Harry is just an anomaly. He can’t be great at everything. I bet there are some knowledge-based things later in the tournament where he will struggle. That was only the first task, there are six more.”

Tamsin Applebee dropped down onto the arm of Fleet’s chair. “What has you so down, Diggory?”

Fleet smiled at their year-mate. “We are working through his issues. We have covered his embarrassment over losing to Harry.”

“You did great, Ced, Harry just happened to pull off something crazy. He was really brave to even use Parseltongue after what we did to him two years ago. Plus, Harry beat Viktor Krum.”

“Tamsin is right, bud. Now, let’s tackle the next bit. What are you doing in the tournament? Why are you questioning that now?”

Cedric winced. “Well, right now I think that this tournament is going to kill me.”

“I think it is more likely to kill Harry,” Tamsin said simply. “Cedric, did you do any research into the old tournaments?” He shook his head negatively, which caused her to roll her eyes. “The Headmaster said they had changed the rules to make it safer. That was necessary because a good number of former champions had died during the tournament. Heck, one year all champions, a Headmaster and some of the audience died. This tournament was always going to be dangerous. I could have entered but I didn’t because of the past history; plus, I would rather fly. The Goblet picked you because you were most qualified.”

“So, what do you suggest, Tams?”

“Realize that you could die if you aren’t careful and use all the time you can to train yourself. Always be ready and don’t let your fear take over.”

“Cedric,” Fleet jumped back into the conversation, “you can’t get out of the tournament so it is kind of stupid to question it now. If you could get out of it, Harry wouldn’t be competing.” No one could argue with that fact.

“Does he have any other issues?” Tamsin asked Fleet.

“He says he is frustrated.”

“Why are you frustrated, Ced?”

“We’ve mostly covered it. I just wish I had a little more help. It looks like Maxime and Karkaroff are cheating for their champions and Hagrid helped Harry, not to mention Granger, she is probably helping him more than anyone. Headmaster Dumbledore won’t cheat, it’s not in his nature; Professor Sprout is the same. I just feel kind of alone.”

“Ced,” Fleet and Tamsin said together.

“We will help you.” Tamsin smiled. 

“All you have to do is ask,” Fleet agreed.

The Hufflepuff Champion felt rather stupid. Why hadn’t he thought of asking? His friends had long ago learned that he was proud and did not feel he needed help. The only way they would help him now was if he asked. Cedric grabbed the bag at his feet and pulled out the black egg. “Would you like to help me with my clues? I could use some help.”

The two sixth-years smiled eagerly. “Open the thing already,” Fleet said excitedly. 

Cedric laughed at his enthusiasm. Looking closely, he could see that the egg had a hinge at around the middle of the egg. He pulled the egg open and looked inside. “What in the world does a pocket watch have to do with anything?”

**Hogwarts, Seventh Floor**

Harry and Bill sat on the floor in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, who just so happened to be trying to teach trolls ballet – it wasn’t going well for poor Barnabas. 

Bill had asked Harry if he could think of anywhere in the castle that Voldemort might hide something important. Harry at first suggested the Chamber but Bill reminded him that they had already searched there. Harry’s next thought had been the Come and Go Room. This suggestion had led to a long explanation revolving around an overly enthusiastic House Elf and Harry’s dislike of Halloween parties. In the end, Bill had to agree with Harry’s guess. It did seem like a good place to look.

The Curse Breaker had spoken to Professor Snape and they had decided to look through the room the day after the first task. Bill had ‘accidentally’ fallen asleep in the Gryffindor Common Room the night before so he would be in the castle already. They did not want to draw attention to what they were doing so he couldn’t just walk into the school without a good reason. Watching Harry compete and then falling asleep during the party was good enough.

Severus would be meeting them there at any moment.

“Have you looked at any of the eggs?” Bill had already told Harry how proud he was. The two eldest Weasleys had taken turns congratulating and scolding the boy. What Harry had done was impressive and reckless.

“I opened the green one in the boy’s dorm room this morning. Hermione and the other girls decided it would be a good idea to wake us up at six this morning so they would see what the eggs did.”

“And?”

“The green one spits bubbles out the top.”

“Bubbles? It just sends bubbles out a hole?”

“Yeah. Even better, the red one had a doll inside. The doll has no face. There was a pocket watch in the black egg. The worst one is the blue one. It screeches or screams or something like that. All I know is that it is loud and it hurts my ears.”

“Well, that all seems…informative.”

“Tell me about it. Hermione already has a theory about two of them of course. And she is probably right.” Harry sighed. “When doing research into past tournaments she found that there is always a task with a hostage. She figures the doll is a representation of the fact that they will be taking a hostage and part of the task is to retrieve the hostage. The pocket watch tells us the amount of time we will have; it doesn’t work and is stuck at 1:30. We figure that I will have an hour and a half to complete the task.”

“Sounds reasonable to me. Any other theories?”

Harry shook his head, “Nothing reasonable at least. Rah said he was going to kill the blue egg if I didn’t shut it up and Lavender said I would have to give a Nundu a bubble bath.”

“Well, I guess there are worse ideas.”

“Like what?” Harry asked incredulously. 

“Marrying a Dementor. You may now kiss the bride, oh, wait, now you don’t have a soul.”

“That was terrible, Bill.”

“I have to agree with Mister Potter.” Severus Snape stepped out of a hidden passage a few feet down from where they were sitting. “I would like to get this out of the way. My snakes are restless and at odds with one another. I had to take one fourth year to the Hospital wing because she claimed that owning a snake was a sign that you were the evilest person in the world.”

“Does Parkinson have a death wish?” Harry wanted to know. He didn’t need to be told the name to know it was the pug faced Parkinson putting her foot in her mouth. “That sounds like something Ron would have said without thinking, no offense Bill. Slytherins are supposed to like snakes or at least pretend they like snakes. And where is the cunning?” Hissing from under his robe made him pause. “Oh, and Rah now wants to hide in her bed and then scare her; he wants her to wet herself. He is insulted on behalf of all the chosen children.”

“Miss Parkinson did indeed miscalculate her attacks. She assumed that because you had a snake, snakes were no longer sacred to Slytherin house. There are three snakes living within the house all of their owners took her insult personally. I believe Draco also took it personally but was smart enough not to get caught.” He scowled, the head of Slytherin house did not like internal conflict. “I would like to attempt to get this done before my house descends into chaos.”

Harry and Bill stood. The young Gryffindor started to pace in front of the tapestry. He walked back and forth three times. When he finished, an ornate door formed on the grey stone wall.

“What did you ask for?” Bill asked the boy. 

“Well,” Harry tilted his head, “I figured that the item would be considered important by Voldemort so he wouldn’t want to hide it just anywhere. I asked for a room to hide important things. If we don’t find it there, I could just ask for a room to hide something in but I figured this would lessen the amount of junk.”

“Astute thinking,” the potions master commented. “Let’s see how much we have to sort through. If it isn’t too much would you stay, just in case we need to search another orientation of the room?”

“Sure, I kind of want to see what is in there anyway.”

Harry opened the door and stepped inside; Bill and Severus followed closely behind him. 

The room was not as full as they feared. It was also fairly organized. There were four long shelving units, most likely originally meant for books, lined with treasures of all types. There were weapons, small and large, coupled with shields and armor down one aisle. The next over seemed to be primarily books of every shape and size. They were lined and stacked depending on the area and the amount of space available. 

The final two aisles held everything else. There was jewelry, small daggers – perhaps meant for ceremonial purposes, chests, gold, goblets, orbs, masks, and more. Harry’s eyes widened upon seeing an antique broom, worth thousands, casually leaning against an exquisitely carved chair.

“We should bring Narcissa here.” Severus spoke without thinking. He thought she would know what much of this was worth and who, if anyone, would have a claim to the individual items.

“I could come up with some reason why I need an adult representative.” Harry’s thoughts were mirroring his teacher. They needed someone knowledgeable about the old families to sort out everything on the shelves.

“For now, let’s just see if another vessel is here,” Bill smiled at the two. He walked closer to the nearest row, the one containing weapons, and started muttering what sounded like Goblin. His wand tip turned white, “Follow me. Keep close and don’t touch anything. If the light turns red, there is a malicious spell or enchantment. If it turns green, there is a curse that can only be triggered through specific circumstances. Blue indicates goblin forged items. A purplish light means the item is tied to another item or a person outside the area, it will not cause physical harm. Pink indicates healing capabilities. Do not go anywhere near something if the light on my wand turns black. If it does, leave immediately and contact the Head of the Curse Breaking department at Gringotts immediately and inform him I have a code nine infraction located at a school.”

They headed down the aisle of weapons, his wand mostly stayed that white color. Sometimes it looked like it turned silvery but nothing else. Toward the back of the row, there were several items that caused the light to change to blue and two that indicated green. Bill marked each by placing a dot under the item on the shelf face. 

“Well, that is a relief, Goblins hate when weapons indicate red. Green they can handle but red makes their blood boil; it is an insult to the weapon. I think you are correct about needing to bring someone in to examine the items. A number of those blades had crests on them though I didn’t recognize more than a handful.”

“We can return with Narcissa another time.” Severus agreed. “Is there anything truly concerning about the green items?”

Bill shook his head, “The lights were weak so the curses were either old or very hard to activate. They probably wouldn’t be activated without someone actively trying to set them off or the activation is keyed to a specific person or line.” Bill started walking around the end of the aisle so he could start scanning the next. “I will have to return to take the Goblin forged items back to Gringotts. I am contractually required to return them if I find them.”

“That is fine. Goblin forged material is really only lent to the one who purchases it unless otherwise stipulated.” Severus had studied up on Goblin traditions and contracts at Narcissa’s insistence when he was in school. It had helped him a great deal throughout the years.

Bill started down the book aisle. There were a number of dark green flashes on this aisle. Two books indicated purple, and six pink. In the middle of the aisle, there was also one book that flashed red. Bill flicked his left wrist and a second wand popped into his hands. He started analyzing the book instantly while still maintaining the other spell. A sheet of parchment flew from his pocket and started recording. 

He frowned, “This isn’t what we are looking for but it isn’t something to just leave here. The book itself would not cause harm but the spells within are dark enough that the very idea of the book indicates danger. This book is ancient and should have been destroyed several hundred years ago. Within these pages is a very detailed description of how to create a Horcrux, as well as half a dozen rituals to lengthen life, stop or reverse death and other such atrocities. If I am not mistaken, it also contains the methods of how Dementors and Inferi are created.”

Harry gulped. He kind of wanted to vomit. The book made his skin crawl. “What are you going to do with it?”

“Could you pull open my bag, Harry?” Bill had a knapsack slung over one shoulder. 

Harry grabbed the bag and opened it. Inside, there were stacks of boxes and vials. “What do you need?”

“Grab me a wood box and open it. I am going to take the book with me.”

Harry grabbed an empty box and opened it just long enough for Bill to levitate the book into the box. Once the box was sealed, he put his second wand back in its holster and resumed his search. 

While the Gryffindors were dealing with the book, Severus had been pursuing a potions volume that had indicated healing abilities. It was an old book he had never heard of; he would have to study it soon.

There were no other red indications on the book aisle.

“Severus could you help me place repulsions or wards around the green and purple indicators? I don’t want to leave them alone considering the intensity of the colors and it is never safe to leave a connection unguarded. I also can’t take them as I want to limit the amount of darkness in the bag at one time, I could overload the protections.”

It didn’t take long for them to finish warding the books. Once again, they started down a new aisle. It was on this aisle that they found what they were looking for. There were five red indications on this aisle. Two ceremonial daggers, one Goblet, a bracelet and a tiara.

“Is that the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw,” Bill asked the second he saw it. 

Severus stepped closer and studied it. “That is indeed her diadem and this is also one of His Horcruxes. I can feel it in my Mark.”

Bill nodded, “I was afraid of that.” He performed his diagnostic, just to verify, before asking Harry for a stone box. Harry got the stone box and closed it when the tiara was nestled inside. He had pulled out three other stone boxes and one more wood box to contain the red items. 

“Harry,” Bill got the boy’s attention, “now that we have found it, I want you to head out of here. I don’t like the amount of dark magic tied to the items in here. Professor Snape and I can manage from here.”

Harry sighed in relief, he felt dirty just standing in the room. “Thanks, Bill. The darkness is starting to make my skin crawl. I really want to take a shower.”

“Get out of here. We will have you come back when Narcissa takes a look. She will probably insist on turning it into a lesson for you, and a few others.” Bill grimaced, “She may insist I take that lesson too as I didn’t know what most of those family crests represented, that isn’t great considering I am the Heir of House Weasley.”

“If you need me, send me a Patronus. Now I am going to go try to figure out what bubbles have to do with my second task.”

“Bubbles?” Severus asked the red head after the boy had closed the door. 

The Curse Breaker could only shrug.

**Somewhere**

Barty Crouch Junior was an angry, insane young-ish man, though he only knew he was angry. In his rage, he had destroyed much of his father’s furniture, including his bed. Not that he cared, he loathed his father and Winkey would fix it all anyway. 

That blasted Potter boy was not doing what he wanted. Granted, the boy was never alone, which meant he could never steer him in the right direction. The boy could fly, Barty had a grudging respect for his ability on the pitch, so he really should have flown his broom during the task. The fact that flying would have been ridiculous considering the fact that there were four eggs hidden in caves and holes didn’t register to him. 

Things were getting complicated, at least in his mind. No one could be trusted. Yaxley was going to betray them. Karkaroff deserved death for what he had already done. Nott was trying to take over his Master’s spot. Malfoy was too concerned with his own political standing to be of real use. Snape was the worst of them all, as far as he was concerned. The slimy, big nosed, mudblood lover was going to kill the Master. Only Barty was trustworthy. 

For now, Karkaroff had his uses. Not that he realized he was being used. It was fun pitting the paranoid traitor against the legendary Moody. He was having an equally enjoyable time suggesting that Dumbledore was wrong about his little Potions Master. Barty was actually glad he had failed to surprise Moody that night before the school year started. The man was paranoid which was not in Barty’s favor that night. For course, that paranoia was working in his favor now. A few words here and there and Moody wasn’t looking where he should be. 

Yaxley too had his purpose. Barty’s work was too important to abandon or to hand off to anyone else. If not for the plan, Barty would be caring for the Master, but the plan needed completion and the Master had entrusted it to him. Because Barty was busy, he would allow Yaxley to continue his job; once Barty had finished, he could deal with Yaxley. 

Barty was happy he didn’t have to wait to deal with Nott. If he ever tracked him down, he would kill him instantly. It would be much more fun to do it slowly but Barty knew that Nott was smart. Killing him quickly would be less fun but it would be safer.

Lucius may eventually be useful. Barty would let him live for now. 

Only those who no longer breathed free air deserved any praise. Rockwood, the Lestrange brothers, Bellatrix and Dolohov, true believers all. One day they would rejoin the cause, taking up their rightful spots within the inner circle. Soon, all this hiding and pandering would be over. Soon, their Lord would once again walk among men. Soon, those mudbloods and blood traitors would learn their places or die.

“Would master Barty be needing anything?” sweet Winkey asked cautiously. 

“No, just make sure you feed that old, pathetic blob that was my father. I will be out, seeing to my Lord, ensure no one enters this house.”

Winkey bowed but he was no longer there. 

**Quidditch Pitch**

Draco Black was a jittery mess. In just a few short minutes, he was going to be flying against Viktor Krum, the world’s best Seeker. The Basilisk Team’s chasers were good, their keeper better. Duncan Inglebee and Seth Lomax were a good pair with beater bats. In the upcoming game, Draco knew he would be the most outclassed player. Each and every one of them knew it would take a miracle for him to beat Krum and honestly, they didn’t expect to win. What they wanted was to put up a good fight.

Harry had been a great help with training. He had come out to the pitch with Draco nearly every morning for two weeks, both before the first task and after it, to challenge him in flight. Harry and Draco had adopted the training technique they had watched Viktor use at the World Cup and it had done wonders. Draco’s reaction time had increased tenfold, or at least he thought it had. 

“Black,” Marcus Flint sat down on the bench next to his team’s seeker. “How are you doing?”

“I am nervous. Viktor Krum is, well, Viktor Krum. I watched him fly at the World Cup and knew, just by watching his team play that the only reason they had made it that far was because of him. I am not that good. I am not good enough to carry a team.”

“Draco,” Marcus put a hand on the younger boy’s shoulder, “there are very few seekers who are that good. Viktor Krum and Harry Potter are rare talents, but that does not mean you aren’t good. I know a lot of people thought you bought your way onto the team but you and I know differently. I never would have given you the spot if you weren’t better than Higgs.” Draco nodded, so Marcus continued. “When you tried out for this team, you were just as good as Diggory, by now, you are probably the second-best seeker in the school. I am proud of how serious you have been taking your training.”

“Thanks, Marcus. I realized that my Father lived in a different world than most people. In my father’s world, you can buy everything. He doesn’t need to work for anything because he literally just pays people to do things his way. He told me that the only reason I was on the team was because he bought the brooms. I lived in his world for a while but I like the real one better.” 

“Welcome to the world, kid.” Marcus stood and clapped his hands. “Alright, gather round kids.” The Basilisks stood and circled their coach. “Today is our first official game of the tournament. We are facing the team that everyone expects to be the winners of the quidditch tournament. Today, we face off against Durmstrang’s Dragons, led by Viktor Krum. Viktor Krum is the world’s best seeker but his team should be at the same level as you. They are just school students. Our chaser line is strong. While I couldn’t admit it then, I can admit it now, the Gryffindor chasers were unstoppable and we have two of them; Alicia, Katie, do your house and your school proud. Let’s not forget our third chaser, Joshua Vasey may not have played on a team but he did beat out people who did. He and I know why he never played for Slytherin, despite my begging, but he is playing for Hogwarts. We are a stronger chaser line than Wood’s Griffins so we could have the best chaser line of the tournament.

“Duncan and Seth, you aren’t the Weasley twins, for which I am eternally grateful, but you are an amazing team. Despite playing for different House teams you have managed to mesh and become a true beater team.” Marcus smiled as the Slytherin and Ravenclaw beaters bumped shoulders and grinned. “Then there is Fleet, your captain. With Wood gone, Fleet is perhaps the best keeper in the school, and he has gotten even better.

“Draco, you and I know where you started and we know what you have done to get here. Everyone here, in this room and out, knows that your job is the hardest today. Viktor Krum is a living legend and his career has barely begun. Today, you fly against someone you idolize,” Marcus grinned, “have fun out there.

“You are more than what you were a year ago. You are not just students on Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin or Gryffindor; you are students of Hogwarts. We are a team. We fly together, we win together and we lose together. Whatever happens today, know that I am proud of you and your school stands behind you.” 

Marcus Flint, one of the most biased and rival driven captains of the previous years of Hogwarts smiled as the students he was coaching. He had learned from his mistakes in the past few months. He had learned that magical was magical, no matter where it came from. His team was great, be they pureblood, halfblood or muggle born. He thrust his hand into the center of the circle, “We are the Basilisks.”

One by one, his team placed their hands over his, “Basilisks!” they shouted as one. 

“Get out there and do me proud.”

…

As everyone expected, Hogwarts lost the match against Durmstrang. They didn’t make it easy on the foreign students though. Hogwarts chasers, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinet and Joshua Vaisey had the burlier Durmstrang chasers on the ropes most of the game. Vaisey was a fantastic center and Katie and Alicia were unstoppable wings; the trio played with speed and finesse, while Durmstrang had a more physical approach to their play. When the snitch was caught at the end of the hour-long match, Hogwarts was ahead by seventy.

The beater teams were all but even in terms of effectiveness. Very few bludgers actually entered the chaser play because of how quick the beaters were to react and deflect them. As for the keepers, well, Hogwarts was ahead, partially due to chaser dominance but also because Fleet had a higher save percentage than the foreign student. 

Draco Black flew better than he ever had before, but he was still no match for the professional Bulgarian player. Viktor caught the snitch almost before Draco noticed it when it reappeared. Draco realized that Harry and Viktor had the same sixth sense when it came to the snitch; both could turn on a Knut because they somehow knew the snitch had returned to the field of play. This did not mean he let Krum win. The blond Slytherin made a nuisance of himself. At the end of the game, he was happy despite his loss.

“You have improved, Draco Black,” Viktor had complimented him at the end of the game. “With practice you could join one of the leagues.”

Draco had grinned and shook his hand. “Thank you, Viktor. It was an honor to fly against you.”

Hogwarts and Durmstrang partied together that night at dinner. The host school was honored to have faced off against a young man they considered to be a living legend. Durmstrang was pleased to have won but was even more pleased by the friendly competition; it is not every day the team you beat wanted to shake your hand and party with you.

**Remus’s Office**

“Sirius, would you please stop.” Remus ran a hand through his hair while attempting to grade papers and talk to his longtime friend. “I have things to do and I don’t need you poking into my relationship.”

“Come on, Remi. I went shopping with you. You have to tell me how you’re going to do it. If you tell me your lame plan, I can fix it. You don’t want to make too big a show of it but you also don’t want to make it underwhelming.”

“Sirius, this is not your business.” Remus tried not to snarl. “Furthermore, there are students walking up those stares and I really don’t want to air my personal life to them.”

Sirius turned and saw three young men reach the landing to Remus’s office. “Oh, come on, it’s just Harry.”

Remus glared at the childish man before turning his attention to the boys. “What can I do for you, Harry?”

Harry looked between the two for a second before shaking his head. He could talk to them about it later. “Well, I am actually glad you are both here; I was going to have Remus contact you later to have you look into something, Sirius.” Harry looked at the two older boys, who were obviously from Durmstrang based on their clothing. “In case you didn’t remember, this is Aleksander Todor from the world cup and this is one of his best friends, Mikhail Markov. I am here to ask for your help on behalf of Mikhail.”

“Please, sit, all of you,” Remus conjured some extra chairs for the boys while Sirius moved to lean against his desk. “What can we do for you, Mister Markov?”

Mikhail swallowed visibly, gripping his hands tightly. “I need help. During the World Cup, my brother went missing. He was supposed to be returning home a few days after the Final Match, at the latest he should have been home that Wednesday, but he never showed. He was last seen, as far as we can tell, by our friend Viktor Krum before the match.”

“Did he attend with anyone else?” Remus asked.

“No, my brother travels a lot and nearly always alone. He is a Wizarding Naturalist, so we never know where he will be next but he always updates us on his travel plans. Dmitri may get distracted and stop somewhere between intended destinations but when he says he is coming home, he comes home.”

“And he sent word he would be home right after the Final,” Sirius clarified. “Have you filed a missing person’s report with the British Ministry on top of your home Ministry?”

“Yes,” he answered instantly, “We filed at home the Wednesday after the match and father contacted the British Ministry the day after to check their records of the results of the disturbance. My brother was one of three who they never located when things went wrong but no one contacted us.”

“You weren’t contacted by the DMLE?” Remus asked, shocked. He knew Amelia had been looking into all disappearances and would have had the Auror in charge contact out of country families to check if the person had returned home. 

“No, the person my father talked to at the ministry tried to say that my brother had probably just decided to head somewhere else and had just forgotten to contact us. We tried to tell him that was impossible but he wouldn’t listen.”

“What was the Auror’s name?”

“Runcorn,” he answered instantly. “I believe his first name was Albert or maybe Alvin.”

“Runcorn is one of Crouch’s isn’t he, Remus?”

“I believe he is.”

The Bulgarians were confused by that statement but Harry got it. His eyes widened with understanding. If Runcorn was one of Crouch’s DMLE supporters, then he may have avoided investigating to ensure there was no backlash to the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Crouch had made enough mistakes that night, there was no need for any of the people at the event to go missing due to the disturbance and the poor placement of Aurors.

“I will look into this personally, Mister Markov,” Sirius pushed off the desk. “I will be speaking with the Head of the DMLE, who has been looking into poor performance in her department, and I assure you, she will not just assume the way Runcorn did. Madam Bones is a woman of honor.”

“How can I trust her when one of her employees just ignored us?”

Aleksander nudged his friend’s shoulder, “I think you can trust her, Mik. I spoke to Madam Bones after the event and she was very understanding and thorough. She was furious that the Death Eaters were able to cause as much damage as they did.”

Harry nodded along as Aleksander spoke, “Madam Bones really is good at her job. She is very well respected.”

Mikhail was stunned. He had not had the best impression with the British populace. The British Ministry had ignored his family and some of the students of Hogwarts had little respect for personal space and foreigners. “You will really help me?”

Remus smiled, “You are looking at people who value family more than anything. We have lost so many of our family members to the darkness that we have built our own families from our closest friends. Sirius is my brother, Harry my nephew. I consider them both my closest family but they are not related to me in any way but if either of them went missing I would tear the world apart to find them.”

“We would do anything for our family and would do anything to ensure that no one else loses theirs. We lost Harry’s parents; we don’t want you to lose your brother.” Sirius spoke with no humor whatsoever. “I can’t promise to find him, but I promise to do all I can to help.”

“Thank you.” Mikhail and Aleksander stood, “thank you for agreeing to help.” The two nodded to Harry before slipping from the office.

Harry stood and started to follow them but stopped, “Sirius, leave Remus alone. This is something he needs to do on his own.”

“But I’m his best friend. He asked me to go shopping with him, of course I would help him with the rest.”

“Actually,” his godson countered, “Remus asked for Narcissa’s advice and you tagged along. From what Narcissa told me, Remus did the picking all on his own, she just approved his choice.”

“But.”

“Would you like it if Remus tried to hijack your proposal?” Sirius had no counter, so Harry continued. “I am sure Remus has a plan, just like he knew what kind of ring to get. You should save all of your creativity for the Bachelor party.” Harry escaped before either could contemplate what he just said.

Remus’s eyes widened in fear while Sirius started jumping around in excitement.

“Get back here, Harry!” The werewolf started running after the boy. “I need to give you detention for the rest of your life for giving Sirius ideas that could kill me.”

The Grim animagus laughed as he followed his friend. 

**Nott Country Manor**

“How are you doing today, Dmitri?” Tiberius Nott smirked at the sweaty Bulgarian slumped on the floor. He was thinner than he had been; his face pale and sunken in due to lack of sleep. “You should stop fighting, it wouldn’t hurt so bad if you just let go.”

“I will never submit,” the younger man bit out. His body hurt. Whatever the ring was doing to him was killing him slowly. Dmitri could feel the consciousness of another attempting to take over. He could feel the drain on his magic, both from attempting to heal his deteriorating body and whatever was leaching his powers. This drain on his core caused his body to be wracked with painful shudders. His skin was clammy and he was constantly plagued by changes in body temperature; one minute he was freezing, the next he was sweating profusely. “I will die before I become a party to this madness.”

Nott kneeled down so that he was nearly eye level with his hostage. “You can’t die until you have resurrected my Lord, Dmitri. You have no other option; you either submit now or you continue to fight and submit later.”

“If that stupid Elf would let me eat with utensils instead of my hands, I would have another option.” He coughed, which caused another shock of pain to spread through his failing body. “I think I would prefer a vacation in Azkaban to this hell hole.”

“There is no need for such dramatics. Azkaban is just as bad as this, except for here you get to eat more often and you actually get a mattress to sleep on.” Nott pushed back up to standing, “we do not allow you to eat with a fork or spoon because you would attempt to kill yourself with it. That would undermine the ritual. The only way you can relieve yourself of pain is to submit right now. Eventually, you could just die without submission but right now there hasn’t been enough magic put into the collective.”

“Just let me die, you bloody bastard.”

Nott smirked, “I thought you wanted to see your family again.”

“Better to die without seeing them now, then to die later and subject them to that monster.”

**Hogwarts**

While Dmitri Markov fought possession by one of the greatest evils of the century, the students of Hogwarts had problems of their own. For most, these problems would seem petty and shallow, really not problematic at all. What most forget is that teenagers are strange creatures that forget that there is more to life than popularity and dating. 

It all started at the evening feast on Friday, December second. The Headmaster of Hogwarts stood to announce an event of both importance and fun. On the twenty-third of December, two days before Christmas, they would be hosting the Yule Ball. All students were allowed to attend, though some would not be allowed to stay the entire night due to their young age. To allow students to shop for proper clothes for such a prestigious event, they would be allowed into Hogsmeade the three Sundays before the ball. Most were excited, some were nervous.

The older students were concerned about one thing. Who was going to be their date? 


	29. News

**Great Hall**

“BLOODY HELL!”

“Harry, language.”

The students in the Great Hall all turned to look at the Gryffindor Table. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were not usually individuals who caused that much noise, at least they weren’t anymore – the loud one was Ron. 

Harry’s response to his girlfriend’s correction was to shove the Daily Prophet in her face, pointing at the article that caused his outburst.

“Bloody Hell!” she breathed after reading the headline. Those around her were too shocked by her utterance to even attempt to correct her language. 

Fay, who was sitting across from her, snatched the paper from her hands and skimmed the page until she found the offending article. “Oh, that’s not good.”

“Would someone tell me what is going on?” Neville asked, concerned by how his friends were reacting; Hermione did not swear. The twins and their Bulgarian friends nodded, they too wanted to know what had offended the trio.

Instead of answering, the little werewolf started giving orders, “Harry, go check on Draco. Hermione, you need to talk to Professor Snape. I am going to talk to papa Remus. Everyone else, read the society page and look through announcements; you will know what we’re concerned about when you see the title of the article. You need to act like there is nothing wrong and don’t bring it up around Draco. Is everyone clear on their assignments?”

Instead of answering, Harry and Hermione got to their feet and left the table. Neville took the paper from Fay’s hands and skimmed to the article. He sighed heavily and nodded. “Take the paper with you, Remus stopped reading the Prophet because of all the Skeeter articles.” Because of Narcissa, Skeeter hadn’t written one article about Harry or anyone under Harry and Draco’s sphere of influence. That did not mean she was silent. She seemed to be writing articles that inferred foul play or other such issues, she just never used names. Narcissa was furious because nearly everyone at the school knew the article asking if love potions ran rampant through the school was directed at Hermione dating Harry. “He wouldn’t have seen this. I will pass the message on to those who need to know. If he needs anything we are here and he knows it.”

“Thanks, Neville.” Fay pushed to her feet and rushed from the hall to find the man she considered her father.

…

Hermione didn’t have to go far to find Professor Snape; he was at the staff table talking with Professors Flitwick and McGonagall. The fourth-year Gryffindor cleared her throat softly to get their attention. “Excuse me, Professors, but we found something in the paper that may upset one of our classmates.” She handed the paper over to Professor Snape, who was sitting between the other Heads. 

Severus Snape growled upon seeing the title. He started swearing softly as he read the entire contents of the article. Flying to his feet, he addressed the concerned student, “Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I will see to Mr. Black.”

“Um,” she started, causing him to pause, “Harry is already there.” She gestured to the Slytherin table while biting her lip. “Knowing Draco, Harry and I think he would much rather you check on aunt Cissy.” 

He paled slightly, only then realizing that the article would affect more than his godson. “You are correct, Miss Granger. Minerva, I am going to need to cancel at least my first class of the day unless Albus is willing to cover it for me. I will let you know if I need to cancel all of my classes for the day.”

The Deputy head had skimmed the article and knew exactly what the younger man was talking about. He was not the mystery most thought him to be. Those who had worked with him for years knew how he felt about a great many things; his attachment to Ms. Black and her son were blatantly obvious. “We will take care of everything, Severus. There is no need to return today, let me know if you will need me to have tomorrow’s classes covered as well. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem considering tomorrow is Friday.”

He nodded slightly before sweeping from the room, heading for the gates of Hogwarts so he could Apparate to Grimmauld.

…

Harry rushed across the hall to the Slytherin table, attempting to make it seem like he wasn’t concerned or in a hurry. Things had changed a great deal in the last year and his relationship with the blond Slytherin was one of the biggest changes. He did not like to see anyone in pain, be they friend or foe, but Draco no longer resided in the foe category. Now he was a friend so it was even more unacceptable for him to experience pain. 

The blond was not reading the paper and appeared to be in good spirits when Harry arrived. “Draco, can I talk to you a second?”

Draco turned in his seat and looked up at the Gryffindor. Seeing the concern in Harry’s eyes caused the blond to stiffen. “Sure, what’s up, Harry?” His voice was laced with unease.

Before Harry could even attempt to reply, Pansy Parkinson, the brat of their year-group, opened her mouth. “Oh, Draco, why didn’t you tell me the good news?” All eyes flew to the pug faced girl. “Your father is getting remarried to Miss Magdalena Dalworth and you kept it a secret? You must invite me to the wedding. The Dalworth family is so prestigious and Miss Magdalena defines what it is to be a pureblood heiress. It will be the event of the season.” Her voice was getting higher with each sentence. Her obvious excitement was in stark contrast with Draco’s pale, shocked face. “Though, the date does seem a bit rushed, doesn’t it? I mean they just announced their engagement and they are getting married on New Year’s Eve. One would generally have at least half a year to plan the event and allow others to throw them parties in celebration; with less than a month to the big day there is no time for the extravagance your father and future stepmother are accustomed to. Do you think she’s pregnant? Oh, wouldn’t that be wonderful to finally have a sibling since your mother seemed to be incapable of having any more children?”

The Great Hall was utterly silent. Draco was white as a sheet and Harry was holding onto his rage by a hairsbreadth. Despite his attempt to keep himself in check, many could feel his magic vibrating just beneath his skin.

“She really was pathetic. Everyone knows it is important to produce multiple strong heirs for the oldest families and yet, she only birthed you. I have to assume your father is celebrating his recent divorce because it allows him to attempt to do his duty for the pureblood community.” 

“Miss Parkinson, you will come with me immediately,” Professor McGonagall growled out through clenched teeth. “We need to discuss personal boundaries and your inability to hold your tongue. Everyone else, I suggest you return to your meals so that you are not late for class.” She lowered her voice as she approached the Slytherin table, “Misters Potter and Black, you are excused from your first class of the day. I believe Professor Lupin has office time scheduled for right now.”

Draco did not seem to be capable of responding, so Harry pulled him from his seat. “Come on, we can call Grimmauld and check in. I saw Professor Snape rush out a right before Parkinson opened her big mouth so I know your mom isn’t alone.”

The blond just nodded as he leaned into his cousin and allowed the smaller boy to lead him out of the Great Hall.

Hermione had arrived at the tail end of that conversation and stood wringing her hands. She itched to punch that smug look off Pansy’s face. Draco would not want her there right now, not even to punch their classmate. He and Harry were rather close considering where they began; she and Draco still had a ways to go before she would be welcome to help him in a situation such as this.

“Hermione,” Daphne called out to get her attention. “Why did Draco seem so shocked by that news?”

The brunette bit her lip while looking at the blonde girl. She knew Draco’s opinion on all of his year-mates and most of his house-mates; Draco did not trust many but he did trust the Greengrass family. “He didn’t know. Draco hasn’t spoken to his father in nearly a year. The last time he saw or spoke to his father was Christmas Eve last year, the day Lord Black informed Mister Malfoy that his marriage to Narcissa was void due to breach of contract on his part.”

“You mean to say that Lucius Malfoy has not spoken to his only child, his son and heir, in over eleven months?” Daphne Greengrass was not stupid. She was from a Founding Family and could read a great deal from that small statement. It saddened her for a number of reasons. Of course, she was also sickened by Lucius Malfoy’s actions. Not informing his son of his impending marriage was cold. His son may no longer carry his name but that didn’t negate the fact that they were related. Considering the ended marriage, he may have disowned his son; was Draco still the Malfoy heir? The breach of contract was also concerning. Blacks did not believe in ending marriages except under the most extreme circumstances; Daphne feared the reason had more than a bit to do with Pansy’s jab at Draco’s lack of siblings.

“When you see Harry, please tell him we will pick up assignments for Draco. I assume we will not be seeing our housemate for the remainder of the day.”

Hermione nodded sadly, “Thank you, Daphne. I will pass the message on between classes.”

**Grimmauld Place**

Narcissa Black had always prided herself on her ability to separate her emotions from herself when the situation called for it. If something happened that caused her emotions to run rampant, she buried them. She had done this many times in the past. Bellatrix’s snake killing the cat, she buried the sadness. When Andromeda ran away to marry Ted, the confusion and pain were ruthlessly squashed. The loss of her unborn daughter; she may have failed that time but she did manage to put on a brave face. What she couldn’t understand was why she was having such a hard time dealing with her latest emotional blow.

Lucius was getting remarried. Why did she even care? They had never loved each other, and agreed on very little. He had multiple mistresses throughout their entire marriage and they hadn’t shared a bed in years. Lucius was extremely vain and conceited. Her former husband thought himself above everyone and yet he didn’t understand even the most basic contractual regularities. He had to use money to get his way when there were cheaper and easier ways to earn someone’s ear.

Despite all of that, the article in the Prophet had devastated her. Britain’s Most Eligible Bachelor, divorcee, Now Off the Market; the picture following the headline had sickened her. Who would ever think that that brainless tramp was fit for high society? It was disgraceful to allow photos of intimate kissing to be printed for a common publication. No woman of class would ever pose for such a picture.

Perhaps she was bitter. Miss Skeeter, the hag, had described Lucius’s new fiancé as young and vibrant while insinuating that Narcissa was anything but. Their wedding would be the event of the year, if not the decade according to the Prophet. The article was also filled with speculation on why the date was so soon after the announced engagement. Skeeter may not have said it, but she hinted at a possible wand-point wedding. Merlin, she hoped Miss Dalworth was not expecting. 

Sirius had tried to comfort her but he was absolutely horrible at it; cracking jokes about Lucius’s virility, or lack thereof, was not a comfort to her. Speaking with Draco and reassuring him that she was fine over the mirrors had been easier than she thought it would be. Her son was overly concerned about her, he always had been, but he was also gullible where she was concerned. He never wanted her to be in any sort of pain so he believed her when she lied and said it didn’t affect her.

Severus had not been fooled. By the Goddess, it was impossible to hide anything from him. He had arrived while she was speaking with Draco. As expected, he had allowed her to finish reassuring her son before doing anything. What he did was perfect, he poured her a drink and waited.

Narcissa would hate to admit it later, but Lucius’s announcement did her a favor. Had he not announced his engagement the way he did, she and Severus may not have allowed their relationship to progress as fast or as far as it did. 

She started talking after about half an hour of her silence. She just kept talking, trying to figure out why she was affected. The shame of being rejected while still married. Her belief that no one would ever truly want her. The loss of her daughter. Her rage at the possibility of Lucius wanting another child when he denied her more children for over a decade. Narcissa’s monologue was both healing and devastating for her. 

What did Severus do? He held her as she cried. The stoic man described, in minute detail, how he could make both Lucius and Magdalena’s lives miserable. When she asked if she would ever be loved, he kissed her. It was unlike any kiss they had previously shared. They were always chaste, always controlled. Not that night. Severus did not let her wallow in self-doubt; he did not let propriety dictate his actions. Both consummate Slytherins let go and allowed themselves to feel. 

Waking up with her head pillowed on his naked chest was both alien and right all at once. Lucius did not like to share his bed when he slept, Severus had pulled her into his arms as they began to drift off. Even now, hours later, they were still touching, his hand running through her hair. 

“What does this mean, Severus?”

Severus’s hand paused for a moment before it continued to card his fingers through her hair. “It means that I care deeply for you, Narcissa. I would like to explore a relationship with you, if you will have me.”

“Is there room for me in your heart?”

He did not need to ask what she meant by that. “I came to terms with the fact I could never have Lily before she married him. I will always care for her but that does not mean I cannot love another.”

Narcissa felt her eyes widen. She was relieved that he could not see her face. “What are you saying, Severus?”

“That I have loved my friend’s wife for many years. I did not come around the manor so often for his company, Narcissa, I came for you and for Draco. Lucius did not know what he had. He was a fool to ignore you based on your public personality. You have always been the most Slytherin person I have ever met. You give nothing but take everything.” He tilted his head so that he could meet her eyes, “I was always honored that you were willing to allow me to see the emotions you hid from the rest of the world.”

Again, she did not know what to say. That he thought so highly of her was both surprising and humbling. She had known Severus had secrets, and played both sides. If anyone was the consummate Slytherin, it was him. But he thought she was just as talented at surviving. He was honored to know the real her.

For two people who appeared so confident, they really were far too afraid of rejection. Had they shared their feelings sooner, things might have been different.

“Would you consent to allowing me to court you, Miss Black?”

She smiled softly, “There is no one else I would consent to, Mister Snape.” A small, uncharacteristic, giggle escaped her. “I believe you and I are the only people in existence who would turn so very serious in such a situation.”

“It is always good to be clear on intent; but you are correct. I did not doubt your answer because you would never have allowed anything to happen if you would not approve my courting you.” Severus tilted his head just enough to lay a soft kiss on her forehead, causing her to sigh contentedly.

They lay in comfortable silence for a time. Neither wanted their time together to end.

“When is your first class of the day?”

He pulled her closer to him, “Minerva told me she could cancel my classes for the day. I am yours for the weekend, if you will have me.”

She hummed slightly, “Now I just need to get rid of Sirius. Where can I send him?”

“Pawn him off on the wolves or send him to Potter Manor.”

Narcissa lifted up slightly and grinned at him, “Well, I do need to evaluate the manor so we can host the Yule celebrations for our political allies and then the New Year’s ball for the Werewolf packs. Sirius really should make himself useful once and a while. Dobby,” she called the enthusiastic Elf.

“Yes, Missy Cissy?”

“Please inform Sirius that he needs to spend the weekend at Potter Manor. He is to start prepping for the parties, with your help. He is not allowed back in this house until Sunday afternoon.”

“Dobby shall tells Harry Potter Sir’s dog-father. Dobby will tell him Missy Cissy and Master Potions man be telling Dobby this.”

“Good,” Severus rumbled. “Now leave and keep the dog away.” The little Elf popped out. “Master Potions man?”

Narcissa could only laugh. 

**Hogwarts**

Fay sat in an alcove on the fifth floor, staring out the window, watching the snow fall. Her life had changed so much in just over a year and yet she had never been happier. 

Losing her grandfather, and essentially her grandmother, had been devastating. Her parent’s betrayal and rejection hadn’t hit her quite as hard because a part of her expected it. That didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. Who abandoned their child because they were attacked and cursed? At first, she thought she would have to live on her own; she figured she would have to quit school and attempt to find a way to hide her affliction while working full time. Hermione Granger had changed that. 

Going to her muggleborn roommate had been an act of desperation fueled by her grandmother’s hope. She really shouldn’t have been surprised that the brilliant girl would have a plan. Hermione had brought Harry, who had brought the men who made up his family. Sirius Black had taken her parents to task over their abandonment. Remus Lupin, on the other hand, had saved her. One man had paved the way for her continued chances, the other had given her something she didn’t know she had been missing. She had finally been given a caring parent.

No one but her parents had abandoned her and, to be honest, she was better off. Sure, she changed into a werewolf once a month but she did so in a controlled and protected way and, while there was pain, it was minimal. Her classmates had embraced her, becoming closer friends. Harry and Draco were her brothers now; Hermione a sister. Remus was her father, Sirius her uncle. Narcissa was her new mother. Aria was a sister, friend and a second mother. Life really was better all around.

“There you are.”

Fay turned from her study of the grounds to find Neville walking toward her. “Hello, Neville. Were you looking for me?”

“Harry was worried about you.”

“He shouldn’t be. I’m fine.”

Neville looked at her critically, “If you’re really fine, then why have you been avoiding us?”

She sighed; she had hoped they wouldn’t notice that. “It’s nothing really.”

“Talk to me, Fay. I am a great listener.”

And he was. Neville was one of those boys who actually listened because he cared instead of pretending to listen to get something from a girl. “I am kind of worried about how people are going to react to my date to the Yule Ball.”

“Why would we care if you go with Theo?”

She blinked in surprise. “How did you know?”

Neville smiled, “Draco. Theo was really excited when you said yes and was celebrating in his common room for a few hours. It drove Draco nuts and he was complaining about it at their last quidditch practice. Harry told Hermione and I about Draco’s irritated ramblings. He figured Hermione would have already known about your date, and thought I would find it as amusing as he did.” Neville paused and thought about what he had just said, “Draco and Theo being amusing not you going with Theo.”

“I knew what you meant.” She took a deep breath, “Are you all really okay with it?”

“Why wouldn’t we be? I have actually known Theo for a long time. His father and my grandmother are both in the Wizengamot so that meant we socialized a bit when we were kids. Draco was always a little prat but Theo was decent. He really is nothing like his father and has never tried to be like him either. I know you have enjoyed working with him in potions so if you said yes, I know you think he will show you a good time at the ball.” Neville smiled a bit wickedly, “He also knows that if he does anything to make you unhappy, that Harry, Hermione and I will make his life miserable.”

“Not to mention the twins.” Fay smiled. Neville was right about all of that. Theo was a nice guy. He had always kept to the background during the Slytherin/Gryffindor confrontations. “What about Ron, Lavender and Seamus?” 

Neville could see where this would concern her. Those three really were the most prejudiced of their year mates. “I don’t know how they will react but I have to assume that Ron and Lavender will be a bit distracted by their new relationship.”

“Ugh,” Fay moaned, “don’t remind me. Those two are either sickeningly cute or screaming at each other!” 

Ron had finally noticed that Lavender wanted him to ask her out. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, Dean had finally taken pity on them and told Ron to ask Lavender to the ball. Lavender, in her elation, had kissed Ron instead of answering. It had taken Ron a few hours to realize she had never answered his question by kissing him. That had been six days ago, and the two loud lions had forced themselves into the center of attention ever since. One minute they would be snogging or talking to each other in baby voices, the next minute they never wanted to see each other again, which they expressed by arguing loudly with most of the common room between them. The ones who had taken the brunt of the pain had been Parvati, Seamus and Dean. Dean had asked Ginny Weasley to go with him, while Seamus was going with Morag MacDougal. Parvati was going with Terry Boot; her sister Padma had set them up. 

“If they do react badly, Harry, Hermione and I will set them straight. I think Dean would probably take offense if they treat you badly too.” Neville put an arm around her shoulders, “Fay, we are a family, just like Professor McGonagall said we should be on our first night. We look out for each other. If Ron, Lavender or Seamus react badly, then they will have to get over it.”

Fay nodded and leaned her head against his shoulder. Neville was like a second, or third, brother depending on how you looked at it. “Did Susan say yes?”

Neville had planned to ask the redheaded Hufflepuff to the ball. He liked her, having spent a bit of time with her due to the fact that her family was allied with his gran and Harry’s family. He wanted to see if maybe they could be something more than friends later. “Yes, she did. She confessed that she was hoping I would ask, which was why she had turned down Ernie a few days ago.”

Fay smiled; Neville had been nervous. He had chickened out a few times over the week when he saw her. “I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

“I know. Susan said the same when I confessed to running away earlier in the week. I believe her exact words were, ‘what happened to Gryffindor courage?’” The two laughed. They were a fine bunch of Gryffindor chickens. The only one who never seemed to chicken out was Harry. “Are you ready to tell everyone who you are going with? If you don’t do it soon, Colin Creevey will be asking you.”

Fay winced. “He is thinking about asking me? It is so hard to say no to those cow eyes.”

Neville laughed, “Harry said the same thing. He is thinking about allowing Colin to be his photographer so he knows when the pictures are coming; it might also allow him to control what pictures are released. Narcissa was saying we could help Colin sell his pictures to the papers.”

“A deviously Slytherin plan that also has an air of Hufflepuff helpfulness to it. Narcissa really is scary sometimes. Any word on who Draco plans on taking to the ball?”

“Originally, he was trying to come up with the person who would irritate Malfoy most, but Harry talked him into asking either a foreign witch or someone he actually wants to go with.”

“That’s good. Revenge dating is really awful, especially if you are doing it to irritate your birth father. Do you know who he is taking?”

“Sally-Ann Perks.”

“Really? Are you sure he didn’t just ask her because it would irritate Malfoy?”

Neville laughed softly, “Yeah, Dean said the same when he found out, but Draco does like her well enough. They are partners for Herbology and he likes the fact that she doesn’t make him do all the work like Pansy used to. He also likes that she doesn’t hang all over him, again, like Pansy used to.”

“He does know that she has been drooling over him for over a year, right?”

“He was not aware of that until she admitted it to him. He was surprised she was still free and she admitted to turning down a few people just in case he asked. She apparently had a deal with a third-year Puff; when Draco got a date, he would ask her. She essentially planned to go with the third year and now that third year is scrambling to find a date.”

“It sounds like everyone is getting lucky; the person they were hoping to go with turns out to be the one who asks.”

Neville smiled. “Now, are you done changing the subject?”

Fay pouted, “Fine, but if anyone yells at me or calls me a traitor, I am going to hex you and then set the twins on you.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

**Malfoy Manor**

Lucius Malfoy was more than a little irritated. 

He was once again married; this was not an irritation. His new wife was young, nubile and stupid; exactly what he was looking for. Magdalena was well versed in the duties of a pureblood Lord’s wife, which essentially said to look pretty, be silent and please your husband when requested. The Dalworth family may not have the wealth or political clout of the Black family but it also meant that she hadn’t been trained to regard her birth family as greater than that of her husband’s, that had always been Narcissa’s greatest imperfection.

No, he was not displeased about being married. He gained a woman of nearly equal status to have on his arm, as well as a very creative and willing bed mate. Narcissa had been a cold fish as far as he was concerned. Lucius’s irritation stemmed from the comments and conversation around him.

Damned Sirius Black had thrown a Yule celebration party. All his guests seemed to want to talk about was how incredible Potter Manor looked. The older generation was ecstatic that the Welsh Manor seemed to be in perfect condition despite standing empty since the death of the Charlus and Dorea Potter. To add insult to injury, Lucius could not comment. He had not been invited to the party, not surprising considering Narcissa was planning it with Sirius Black and neither liked him, but it was still insulting. It used to be that the Malfoy New Year’s ball was the event of the season, this year it was the Potter-Black Yule ball. Lucius was forced to, grudgingly, admit that Narcissa had out done his new wife. Magdalena did not have the experience or foresight to anticipate the next trend. Narcissa was a trend setter, Magdalena was trendy. Because of this, their wedding and the following reception ball was beautiful but unsurprising. It was all predictable.

“We missed you at Potter Manor, Lucius,” Silas Greengrass smirked.

“Well, we really couldn’t fit it into our schedule considering the wedding was so close to the ball. Weddings do require much more planning time.” Lucius tried to deflect the fact that he was not invited by claiming they just didn’t have the time. It was pointless, both men knew neither Sirius, nor Narcissa would ever invite him to one of their parties. 

“Of course,” Silas continued to smirk. “It really is too bad that the Blacks couldn’t attend your wedding. I was honored to bring young Draco with my family.”

“Yes, I did intend to thank you for that. It seems Narcissa and Black had other plans for the night.”

“It was no problem. Draco is such a good kid. I hear his attitude and school work is much improved these days. Children are far too perceptive; do you suppose the tension in your former marriage was causing him to act out before? Daphne used to describe him as brash and tactless but now says he acts like an actual Slytherin.”

Lucius could feel his eye starting to twitch. He too had heard that Draco was doing much better at school. Most verbal reports stated he was acting less like an entitled Malfoy and more like a pureblood lord. “I suppose. He was a bit spoiled I will admit. We tended to compete to gain his affections.” It was a pretty lie. Narcissa did not compete with him. Lucius had always just done as he saw fit; punishing and gifting as the situation called for it.

“That could be the case,” Greengrass glanced around the room, his eyes landing on some of the children. “It could also be that he has started surrounding himself with the more intelligent individuals in his house. Young Nott and Zabini must be better conversationalists than his previous companions.”

“Draco always was loyal,” Lucius tried to deflect the slight dig on his own near constant companions. “He felt the need to help young Vincent and Greggory. I fear my split with his mother has driven the boys to seek other aid. Miss Parkinson is more connected with me so is acceptable to their fathers. Of course, young Goyle has been distant but who can blame the boy considering what his father did.”

“I’m sure. Well, Lucius, I am sorry to say my family will have to leave shortly. I have much to do in the morning and I don’t like to keep Astoria up this late.”

“You have meetings on the first?” Lucius asked with some surprise.

“Yes, I am meeting with some international contacts that just happen to be in town attending a New Years’ celebration. We would have invited you,” he lied, “but with your wedding set for this night we knew your honeymoon would be taking up much of your time for the first of the month. It really was too bad that your wedding landed on the same night as the second ball held at Potter Manor. Their second ball was planned exclusively for their international contacts. I had not anticipated Mister Lupin having so many foreign friends of such high standing.”

“The ball is for international contacts of Lupin’s?”

“Of course, didn’t you know?” a sneer slid across Greengrass’s face. “This ball is partially why I have to leave early; I do have to make an appearance and Narcissa does want to introduce your son around. I am sure you understand; it will be great exposure for him.”

“Yes,” Lucius attempted to hide his confusion and envy. How had his wife managed to find herself in such diverse and powerful company? “I do want what is best for him even though the contract removed him from my family.” There were probably better times to air this particular truth but he needed something.

“Are you saying Draco is no longer your heir?”

“Sadly, no,” not that he was really all that sad about it. “The Blacks really are vicious.”

Greengrass pushed into Lucius’s space and spoke low, “Be careful, Lucius. The Blacks are known for having iron clad contracts with severe consequences for breaches in contract. The fact that you lost your heir will not paint you in a good light. The Blacks will not be seen as the villains by the old families, you will. You may be able to convince the lesser families that you were slighted but the Founding Families will know how horribly you acted toward your wife and child.”

The newly remarried man did not have time to respond as his companion walked away quickly, pushing past anyone in his wake. Lucius knew, without a doubt, that he had officially made an enemy out of one of the Founding Families. No, it was worse than that. He had officially made an enemy of nearly all of the founding families. ‘Perhaps,’ he thought, ‘I should look into moving back to the Malfoy compound in France.’

**Potter Manor**

Remus stood back and watched. In all his years as a werewolf, he had never dreamed it could be like this. He had never craved pack life, at least he didn’t think he did, until Fay, until Aria. Sure, he had formed his own pack out of his friends but he had never craved the company of anyone like him. Now, after all that had happened after returning to England for Harry’s sake, he couldn’t imagine life without his small band of werewolves. 

Becoming an Alpha to an actual pack had never been in the cards for him, and to be honest, he still wasn’t all that comfortable with it. That said, it was nice to have contact with people who understood his struggles; who understood the uncertainty and fear. 

Slim arms warped around his waist from behind. “Why is it that I always find you in the corner? This is your party, my love. You should be out there talking to your allies.”

Remus turned slightly so that they were face to face, still connected. “I like to observe.”

Aria rolled her eyes, “That may have worked before, but now you are a big deal, Mister Lupin. You are an Alpha that is respected by the other pack leaders of Europe. They are here to show they are allied and that they support your joining their ranks.” She grinned and placed her left hand on his chest, her engagement ring flashing in the light. “And because of Narcissa, they are also here to celebrate us.”

“Thank you,” he muttered into her hair.

“For what?”

“You could have so much more than me…”

“Shut up, Remus Lupin. We have been through this before. You are my mate, both human and wolf. There is nothing and no one I would want more than you.”

“But…”

“Do you want to have a shouting match in front of all of our foreign guests?” Remus didn’t answer so she continued. “Good. Stop doubting yourself. You were very sure of yourself when you asked me, which was perfectly done because you know how much I like to walk through the snowy woods with you. Why is it that after I have said yes you doubt?”

“I am not used to things going right for so long. Usually by now my world has come crashing down all around me. I sometimes feel like if I lose myself in the joy, I am inviting fate to destroy the things most important to me. If things go the way I fear, that means losing Harry, Fay and you. I don’t think I could survive losing any of you.”

“Remus,” she sighed, “living your life fearing what might be is no way to live. If you live in fear, you miss out on what is around you, on what is good about your life. You and I know what is happening in Harry’s life; would you tell Harry to ignore the good in his life and just focus on what He might do if He comes back?”

Remus pressed a kiss to her brow, “No, I would, and do, tell him to live and enjoy the good.”

“Follow your own advice, Professor Lupin.” She took a step back, grabbing his hands, “Your fiancé would very much like to dance with you and insists that you hold her close when the clock strikes midnight.”

He let her lead him to the dance floor filled with couples. “I would like nothing more.”

**Come and Go Room**

Harry, Hermione and Neville cringed as the blue egg screeched, just like it did every time they tried to figure out the clue. They hadn’t come up with any ideas so far. 

They had been studying the eggs since they were retrieved. Despite that, he still didn’t know what to do with the annoying sound coming from the blue egg. He was well aware of the fact that they had made no progress over the Yule holiday and, now, he had less than three weeks to the third task. It was currently the fourth, the first Wednesday of 1995 and they had been back as school for about twenty-four hours. 

The other eggs were easy enough to determine. Harry and the other champions would have an hour and a half to complete the task – the pocket watch stopped at 1:30 represented this. A hostage would be held, as represented by the doll. Hermione assumed the bubbles had something to do with a barrier of some kind, perhaps an air bubble or a ward shaped like a bubble. The screeching had no explanation yet. Harry was starting to regret turning Cedric down for his help.

The Hogwarts sixth year had offered Harry a hint about the blue egg during the Yule ball. Harry had turned him down on the basis that Harry had received help with the dragons from an adult, Cedric had figured out the egg clue on his own so there was a difference. 

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH A MERMAID RECORDING?”

Hermione slammed the egg shut and turned to the speaker. Draco stood just inside the door with his hands over his ears. 

“What?” she asked now that the noise was gone and she could actually hear.

Draco slowly removed his hands from his ears, fully prepared to cover them again if the sound was still blasting through the small room. “I asked why you had a recording of a mermaid speaking Mermish.”

“It’s Mermish?” Neville asked.

“Yeah, at least I think it is.” Draco shrugged. “It will sound like that until you place it in water. Mermish sounds kind of like music in water but for some reason it sounds like a pack of banshees above water. Kind of strange but it is what it is.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t think of that,” Hermione breathed. 

“How did you know?” Harry smiled as Hermione and Neville started pushing them out the door so they could get a room with a water source.

Draco blushed slightly, “Lucius knows a guy who has a sort of zoo. He lives in Russia and has cages that contain what he calls interesting mutations. Centaurs, Merpeople, a Giant, trolls, that sort of thing. He only has tropical Merpeople but they all sound the same – when they are in the water their voices are music, when they are above water it sounds like screeching.” Draco ran a hand through his hair, musing it slightly, “He took me along when he went to visit a few years ago. Lucius thought it was amusing that, and these are his words, ‘supposedly sentient beings were held like animals, the way they should be.’”

“Is there a difference between tropical and cold water Merpeople?” Hermione wondered. They had not covered Merpeople and that was not something she had even thought to study. “I assume, if this is in fact Mermish that there are Merpeople in the Black Lake and the task will be held in her murky depths.”

Neville answered, “It is said that tropical Merpeople are vastly more attractive.”

Draco nodded, “I haven’t seen a cold-water Mermaid myself but the Russian said he only had the tropical variety as he had no desire to stare at the much less attractive version. He claimed that he had seen a cold-water Mermaid and he thought he would be sick just by looking at her. I don’t know if he was telling the truth but I did look it up in Fantastic Beasts and it says there is a physical difference between the varieties.”

Hermione, being the intellectual she was, had a theory, “Perhaps the difference in physical attractiveness has to do with the environment. The appearance we perceive as less attractive could have a benefit to their survival, like the changes give additional protection from the cold. We all know the Black Lake is freezing essentially year-round so they would have to be capable of handling the extremely cold conditions.”

“Not to sound uninterested or rude,” Harry interjected, “We can discuss Merpeople all you want later but I would really like to see if putting the clue under water helps. If I do get music, perhaps there is a message I need to hear.”

Hermione cringed slightly, “Sorry, Harry. I got carried away. You’re right, we do need to focus on the clue.” She picked up the egg and walked it to the newly arranged showers. There was a large bath as well but the young woman thought it might work under the shower. If it did, it would save them trouble and keep them dry.

She set the egg down on the tiled floor and placed her hand over the latch, “Here goes nothing.” Hermione opened the egg and quickly turned on the shower. The egg screeched briefly; then the water hit the egg and the room was filled with song.

_Your task takes place where this is song._

_Find my home, you don’t have long._

_What you seek to me is wrong._

_To win this day you must be strong._

_A second quest will test your might_

_Do you stand alone in this fight?_

_Hidden well, out of sight_

_You need this to find the light_

_One thing bathed in sound_

_Another hidden in the round_

_Both need to be found_

_Will you be the one crowned?_

Four sets of eyes rose from the egg as the little poem started over for the fourth time. “Well, that is irritating.” Draco rolled his eyes. “I really hate poetry.”

“It’s a two-part task,” Hermione frowned. “You have to find your hostage and something else within the time limit.”

“The question is,” Neville wondered, “What else do you have to find?”

“Do you think it is another clue for a future task?” Harry wondered.

“It stands to reason,” Hermione nodded. She glanced down at her notes, “Most of it seems like filler. Whoever wrote it had an idea of what they wanted and went with it even though it wasn’t particularly informative or useful. What we can guess is that the hostage and hidden item, for lack of a better term, are hidden in separate parts of the lake. I am guessing that one will be held within a bubble barrier and within that bubble there is no water. I think you will also be given a choice on the order you search. You may be able to use your hostage as a helper to find the second prize.”

“I assume the ‘crowned’ portion just alludes to the fact that only one person can get first.”

Hermione glanced at Draco, “I agree. Like I said, it is mostly useless but does confirm a few things and give me ideas for what else might be going on.”

“I’m better off now than I was before.” Harry glanced at his friends. “Anyone have any ideas on how I can survive underwater for over an hour?”

Neville got to his feet, “I may have an idea about that actually, I just need to check one of my books.”

“What is it Nev?” Harry wondered.

“Gillied. If I remember correctly, it allows a person who swallows it to breath under water. I’m not sure on the details, which is why I want to look it up.”

“Do that now,” Draco stood with the others. “The sooner we know for sure, the sooner we can get some. Harry could also use the Bubble Head charm but it isn’t a spell taught to our year so he may have trouble maintaining it. If Gillied does as you say, he could also get some early and practice, or scout out the Black Lake.”

“That is brilliant, Draco.” Hermione beamed. “Do you think Professor Snape would know where to get some?”

“Absolutely. He knows where to get most ingredients, Gillied is used in some potions, and could send Sirius to get some, you could have some by the weekend.”

“Alright,” Harry nodded. “Neville, read up on Gillied. Draco, if it does what Neville thinks, ask Sev to get some for me. I will want enough to practice a few times.”

“You may also want to carry enough for your hostage,” Hermione added. “If they take me as your hostage, like we think they will, then I want you to consider finding me first so I can help with finding the item. That would mean that we would need another bit of the Gillied for both of us when we leave the air bubble.” She shook her head, “Of course, that does hinge on the fact that we are right and there will be a portion that is in a breathable environment.”

“You will need to test the time limit of the Gillied too. You may need to come up with a way to quickly move from water to air and back.” Draco studied his Gryffindor companions. “I don’t think it would be wise going in there with no idea of how to stop the effects if you needed to.”

“Your right,” Harry nodded. “Will you all help me research?”

He didn’t have to ask, they all knew it, but he did anyway. That was who he was.

**Nott Country Manor**

Dmitri moaned. Every fiber of his being ached, even his hair. It felt like he had been running miles on end or climbing sheer walls with only his arms and legs to pull himself up while carrying twice his weight. That wasn’t the case though, he had done nothing strenuous for some time. The Bulgarian wizard had done nothing but sit on the thin cushion laying on the floor since the Quidditch World Cup. 

His skin was pale and he was losing weight. Whatever the ring was doing to his strength and magic, it was also changing him physically. Looking at his limbs, he could see he was becoming little more than skin and bone. He could barely lift his arms and even his eyelids felt heavy. Day by day, hour by hour, he wished for the pain to stop. He wished for death.

“Death will come soon enough.” 

Dmitri opened his eyes and fought to focus his vision. A semitransparent man in his late twenties stood before him. He had dark hair and a pale face with sharp features. All in all, the spectral man looked normal, if not for his eyes. Dmitri’s personal ghost had glowing red eyes. 

“How are you here?”

He smirked and let out a small chuckle. “Haven’t you figured it out by now? I am the product of the ring. I am the one who spelled the ring so that this might happen one day. Didn’t my servant tell you what your sacrifice would bring? Your death grants me life. Aren’t you honored to give me my life back?”

“You aren’t Him.” Dmitri’s voice was graveled and weak but he pushed through to be heard. “I have seen pictures of Him. He was deformed and less human. You have the eyes, I’ll give you that, but you don’t have the bald head or the deteriorating nose.” Dmitri coughed, “You are only slightly less hideous than he was.”

“Do you seek punishment?”

“No, just pointing out that you aren’t him. Punish me if you want though, maybe you will kill me while you do and alter whatever is happening.”

The man claiming to be Voldemort shook his head. “I will not give you a reprieve. You will die to give me life and that will take as long as it needs to. Stopping it now would not save you but it would set me back months. I will not give you the satisfaction.” He began to pace, “Lord Voldemort is my past, present and future. The one you picture is what I will eventually become when my plan is complete. The changes, though not entirely attractive, are necessary. Without them I am common, with them I am exceptional.” He stopped and his menacing red eyes locked onto Dmitri’s, “I have done more than any before or any after in my goal to live forever. No one will ever take my place as the lord of all magic once I take the throne. It is my rightful place and I will rule forever.”

“No man can cheat death forever. The fates won’t allow it.”

“The fates are a fantasy imagined to try to explain that which we call unexplainable. A child dies, it was their destiny. A good man falls at the hand of evil, it was fate’s design. Believing in that rubbish is a crutch and I will not fall like so many others.”

“So, you don’t believe in divination? In prophecies?”

“I believe in prophecy. A prophecy is magic’s way of guiding us to our ultimate path.”

“You are crazy to believe in one and not the other.”

“Believe what you will, but know that you are the reason that I will have a body once more. You are the reason I will once again start my campaign to rule on high. You are the beginning of the end of all who are not me.”

“I thought you stood for Pureblood supremacy.”

He laughed, long and loud. “Is that how I sold it? And they believed me? Nott and the others who knew me in school would know the truth, I will rule and they will be allowed to live as they please because they support me. If they cross me, they die. It has nothing to do with pureblood, halfblood or mudblood, I will rule because I am the only one worthy to rule.”

“I won’t help you.”

“You already are. The fact that you continue to breathe helps me.”

“I’ll just stop breathing then.”

“Try it.”

Dmitri smiled and let go. He stopped fighting. He let the pain consume him and released his minimal control of his magic. 

The curse rushed through him, ravaging what had been previously shielded. Dmitri screamed in pain until he could scream no more. 

He fell silent. 

He did not move. 

The Bulgarian would die and soon. Breaking the barriers that he erected to protect himself from the drain and destruction would be too much of a shock to his already taxed systems. It was the only way to reduce the power the Dark Lord would gain; it would also kill him in the most painful way imaginable. It amazed the Dark Lord that the young man had held off his attacks the way he had. He had been entirely unaware that Dmitri had closed off portions of himself so that the ring could not drain all of him. 

Voldemort had to respect Dmitri’s determination to change the inevitable. He was also forced to curse the young man. 

As he watched the dying man writhe in pain, he became more solid. His magic became stronger and, all of a sudden, he could feel. He could feel the air moving over his skin. He could feel his pulse. He could feel his heart beating within his chest. He was, once again, alive. 

He felt a pulse, a beat of magic, and then the room was still. “A good death,” the now solid man murmured. “I congratulate you on your success in finding a way to block me. Your effort will slow me by a few months at least. I will need to perform many rituals to gain my full strength because of your sudden death.” He turned and strode from the room. “I wonder if Tiberius is at the main Manor or at the London townhouse.”

The Dark Lord Flooed from the Country Manor, without pause, to search for his most loyal follower.

On the floor, in a dark, dusty room, a Bulgarian man lay on the floor. His body was thin; he was pale. He was drained. His magic was gone. His life was over.

…

…

…

Dmitri Markov’s finger twitched.


	30. Hell and High Water

**Grimmauld Place**

“Is he going to pop the question?”

Narcissa did not look up from her morning tea. 

“He has been sniffing around here almost constantly for weeks. I don’t loathe him anymore but he still isn’t my favorite person. So, I just want to know how long I have to endure this ridiculous courting. I mean, you are both adults, neither or you are virgins, so there is no need to play these antiquated games.”

She blinked slowly, taking a deep breath. Narcissa may not love her cousin, mostly because he was ridiculously irritating, but she did like him, most of the time. What she hated, was his constant need to know everything that wasn’t his business. 

“Sirius, I know this may seem odd to you, but most people do not share every single detail of their lives with everyone who asks.”

“I know that,” he grinned at her. “But they do share with family and close friends. I am family and one of your closest friends, so you can tell me anything.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion, “What makes you think you are one of my closest friends?”

“Because you don’t really spend any time with anyone but me and Snape.”

She sighed heavily, “Sirius, I spend a lot of time with you because I am your political advisor and I am currently living with you. I will admit to enjoying your company from time to time but I also find you irritating beyond belief when you turn into a child; like you do most of the time Severus is brought up or the children are around.” Narcissa flicked a strand of hair behind her shoulder, “My relationship with Severus is new, and I want to savor it. I have literally never dated anyone because I was contracted to marry Lucius when I was twelve and dating anyone after the contract was signed would have dissolved our ties and you know how my parents would have reacted to that.”

Sirius nodded, “They probably would have acted like my mother did the day I was sorted into Gryffindor.”

“Exactly; you can attest to that kind of unpleasantness.” After a brief pause, she continued, “I will concede that we are both serious about this relationship and do not foresee it ending in anything but marriage, but, right now, I am enjoying being courted. I am enjoying getting to know Severus as a partner rather than a friend. Please, will you let me be a woman for a bit longer? Added to that, if we do get married, it won’t mean you will see any less of him; you would probably see more of him.”

“I can do that, and you’re right. I’ll continue to work on my schoolboy issues.” he said softly.

“Thank y…”

They were interrupted by a series of loud popping sounds.

A foreign House Elf popped into the room with what appeared to be an unconscious man. Seconds after the Elf and his companion popped into the kitchen, Dobby and Kreacher popped in, prepared to defend their masters.

“You is in the Great House of Black,” Kreacher grumbled. “If yous is here to harm Mistress, Kreacher will dispose of you.”

“You will not harm Master Harry Potter Sirs’ family,” Dobby cried, magic crackling from his hands.

The unknown Elf cowered, “Quigley is being sorry. He is not knowing what to dos. He is going to Master Malfoy sir and asking him what to dos with the person but master is not caring. He is telling Quigley to do what he wants with the body so Quigley is thinking Mistress Cissy is knowing what to do.”

Narcissa stood and walked toward the little Elf, having finally recognized the poor thing. “Why did you think I could help, Quigley?” The Elves of House Malfoy had adored her. Most had preferred to seek her out for orders over Lucius due to his penchant for punishing them. Quigley had been one of the most beaten Elves, only Dobby had surpassed him in number of beatings, and he had loved Narcissa.

“Master is lending Quigley to Mister Notty and Mister Notty is telling Quigley that he is to be caring for the sick man. He is not to let the sick man die. Mister Notty is putting a bad ring on the sick man and the bad ring is killing the sick man slowly.” Quigley looked at the unconscious man with fear, “Quigley is returning with food and he is finding that the sick man is dying and bad ring is not feeling bad anymore.”

The little Elf shook with his fear, “Quigley is being teld to keeps him alive so when bad ring drains him and hes be dying Quigley stops it. I is using Elf magics to helps him but Elf magics not being working on wizards well and Quigley is not being very strong for an Elf so I is not able to do much. Man is going to die if he is not being seen by wizard magic.”

Sirius was at the Elf’s side, turning the man over so he could see his face. “Dobby,” he snapped upon seeing the man’s face. He looked a great deal like Mikhail on close inspection. “I need you to take us all to St. Mungo’s immediately.”

Dobby nodded and put his little hands on the unconscious man. Narcissa and Sirius also grabbed on; Sirius gripped Quigley’s dirty tea towel so that the Elf was not left behind.

“I need a healer!” Sirius shouted when they landed in the waiting room. “NOW,” he barked when the staff didn’t move fast enough for him.

While the staff scrambled to do Lord Black’s bidding, Sirius knelt next to Dobby. “Dobby, I need you to go to Amelia Bones and tell her that Dmitri Markov has been found and is at St. Mungo’s. Tell her that I am here and will see her immediately upon her arrival.”

Dobby nodded with his most serious face before popping out of the busy room.

“Sirius, is that really the missing young man?” Narcissa was standing back watching the chaos around her. The Healer on call had rushed in after a mediwitch had shouted something about core death. The young man was on a stretcher, his face pale and emaciated. She could barely see his chest rise and fall with his breathing. 

“Yeah, it is. He looks like his brother but I have also seen his picture. Whatever they did to him has changed him a great deal but he still resembles his picture enough for me to be certain.”

“Do you think he will survive?”

Sirius frowned, “Hard to say. Did that nurse mention core death?” Narcissa nodded, which caused him to sigh heavily. “If he is suffering core death it is unlikely he will survive. Wizards and witches’ lives are often bound to their core. When the core is strong, they are healthier and tend to live longer. Core death generally leads to complete death because their body is mostly incapable of functioning without their core. If they survive the initial death, they often parish from a common illness that is generally easily cured.” He studied his cousin, “but you already knew all of that.”

Narcissa nodded. She did know that; she had just hoped she was incorrect. The healers had rushed him through to one of their treatment rooms, leaving the room oddly calm after all that action. “I hope they can save his core.”

“So do I, Cissy,” Sirius wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“If they can’t, and he survives, he won’t be able to return to his life. What he knew and did will be lost to him.”

“I know that too.”

“If he survives, we will help him.”

Sirius looked down at his cousin in wonder. This was the cousin he loved as a child; caring and strong. Her marriage to Lucius trapped her true self behind walls but now that she was freed of him, she was returning to herself. “Yeah,” he said softly, resting his temple on her head, “we will help him in whatever way we can.”

**Hogwarts – Great Hall**

Sirius wished he was at the school to see his godson; it would be much easier on him if he were. He wished he had good news, and, he supposed, in a way he did, but that news was marred by the uncertainty of the next few hours.

Harry was the first to see him, his head turning to the doors even before the professors. When he started to stand, Sirius shook his head. He was not here for Harry, unfortunately. Sirius’s grey eyes landed on the Bulgarians sitting around Harry at the Gryffindor table. This was going to be difficult and he wished he had taken Narcissa up on her offer of assistance; she would be better at this but she was needed where she was; Quigley would be much more informative with Narcissa’s permission and presence.

He cleared his throat when he arrived at Harry’s group. “Could I have a word, Mister Markov?”

Mikhail turned, his face paling at the sight of Sirius, but hopeful. He opened his mouth to respond but no sound came out, so he nodded instead. 

When Mikhail stood, Victor and Aleksander stood as well. “We are here for you, brother,” Victor said softly, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder while Aleks nodded.

“Thanks,” Mik managed to croak out.

Sirius led them from the Great Hall and into one of the receiving rooms off the entrance hall. “I won’t beat around the bush. Your brother has been located and, at the moment, he is alive.” Sirius waited a moment to let that sink in. The boy did not respond, though it was obvious Victor and Aleksander were holding him up. The young man’s knees had gone weak with relief. “He was brought to my home by a House Elf so we do not have the person responsible for his abduction in custody.”

“How is he?”

Sirius sighed; this was the hard part. “It isn’t looking good.” Mikhail's head dropped to his chest as he took a ragged breath; his friends deflated visibly. “The Healers have given me leave to share his condition to prepare you. Dmitri has been held captive for six months, this would not bode well in most cases, and in this case, it’s worse. He is malnourished, has lost considerable weight and it looks like he has not had the opportunity to move much in that time. Worst, and most concerning of all, he is suffering from core death. If you’re not aware, that means his magic is dying. We have theories on how this occurred, the most likely one being that the individual that took him was draining his magic to fuel a dark ritual. This draining was meant to completely drain his magic and life force. For some reason, his health failed before the draining was complete so he is still alive. 

“However,” he continued as carefully as he could, “it is looking like he won’t have any magic by the time night falls. In most cases, wizards do not survive the death of their magic but it does happen. I don’t want to give you false hope, he is in bad condition besides the state of his core so his chances of survival are slim. The only reason he is alive is because the one holding him ordered a House Elf not to let him die.”

“Why would they order that if they were draining his magic?” Victor asked, seeing the oddity in the situation.

“We think they meant to order the Elf to not let him die before a certain point but they didn’t specify that and the Elf took it to mean that Dmitri could not be allowed to die. The Elf essentially paused his downfall with Elf magic and brought your brother to my cousin Narcissa because he thought she could help him.”

“Why would he think that?” Aleksander sounded suspicious.

“The Elf belongs to Narcissa’s former husband. While they were married, the Elves adored Narcissa and it appears that Lucius Malfoy did not see fit to order them to not follow her orders like he should have after I dissolved their marriage. This lack of attention gave your brother a chance.” Sirius glanced at his pocket watch, “We should go, Remus should be speaking to your Headmaster so you are free to go.” He glanced at the other two boys, “Remus was always the smart one so I can only assume he added your friends to the discussion.”

“I don’t care if Karkaroff approves or not.” Victor snarled, “we will not leave Mik alone.”

Sirius nodded; they had read the situation correctly. “That is as I assumed. Your parents are being contacted, Mister Markov, and should be at the Hospital shortly.”

“Thank you,” Mikhail said quietly. “Can I see him?”

“I’m not sure. The Healers are working on keeping him alive at this point. When something changes, they will let us know. I’m not going to lie to you, they may only let you see him to say your goodbyes but they could also keep you from seeing him because outside magics could be detrimental to his chances.”

“At least you're honest,” Aleksander muttered, though he didn’t sound particularly pleased with the honesty.

Sirius decided not to respond and pulled something from his robes. “Grab hold of the rope and we will Portkey directly into St. Mungo’s.”

The three young men grabbed hold and with a muttered word, they were transported to the heart of London and the magical hub of healing.

**St. Mungo’s Hospital of Magical Maladies and Injuries**

Everything hurt. 

‘Why did everything still hurt?’ he wondered. Wasn’t the pain supposed to go away when you died?

Dmitri Markov forced his eyelids to open, though that used up most of his energy, and fought to clear his vision. When it finally did clear, some minutes later, he was confused. He did not expect the afterlife to look like a hospital. Everything was either white, silver or wood brown, white walls and ceilings and metal and wooden furniture. Everything smelled sterile and it was relatively cold in the room. He was hoping for a beach somewhere with sun and surf. 

Why was he so tired? 

If he really was dead, he shouldn’t be tired. Death was the end. Sleep, from that point on, was useless so he shouldn’t feel tired.

He tried to lift his hand to rub the sleep from his eyes but could only lift it a fraction before he could lift no more. 

Maybe he wasn’t dead. If he was dead, he wouldn’t be in pain, he wouldn’t be in a hospital and he would be able to move.

If he wasn’t dead, which hospital was he in? 

Dmitri strained to listen for anything. He thought he heard murmured voices, and he thought they were speaking English. He must still be in Britain. 

He closed his eyes, mostly because he couldn’t keep them open, and sighed. 

Why wasn’t he dead? He really shouldn’t be alive, not with what he did and what he went through. There were rare techniques that could cordon off portions of the body. He had learned a few of them in his travels and had used one to attempt to stop that vial ring from draining all of him. Not much of his magic was hidden behind the wall but it was enough. 

The door to his small private room opened a few minutes later; at least he thought it was a few minutes later. A short, dark haired man in healer’s robes slipped in and smiled upon seeing he was awake.

“Well, it is wonderful to see you awake and alert, Mister Markov. I am Healer Atticus Creswell, and I have to say, it was touch and go there for a while,” he waved his wand over Dmitri as he continued to talk. “You were in bad shape when you were brought in by Mister Black.”

“Who?”

“Lord Sirius Black brought you in.” He smiled kindly down at his patient, “I doubt you would remember that, he said you were unconscious when the Elf dropped you into his kitchen.”

“Elf?”

The Healer nodded, “It seems the Elf who was tasked with caring for you saved your life. I’m not clear on the details but he wasn’t sure what to do so he took you to his Master’s ex-wife, which just so happened to be the cousin of Lord Black.”

Dmitri didn’t know what to say about that. He vaguely remembered a small, cowering Elf covered in bandages bringing him food but most of his focus had been on his captors and the being that formed from the magic of the ring. “Am I still in Britain?”

“You are,” the healer confirmed with a happy nod. “Right now, you are at St. Mungo’s Hospital in London. You’ve been here for just over a week. You were unconscious for nearly all of that time. You started coming around yesterday but were disoriented every time so it isn’t unexpected that you don’t remember any of our conversations from yesterday.”

“How am I alive? I shouldn’t have survived the assault on my core.” He searched himself and found a void within, “Where is my magic?”

The Healer’s face fell, Dmitri’s stomach fell with it. “From what we can discern, your magic and life force was being drained by exceedingly dark magic. Somehow you managed to overload that by walling off a portion and then breaking that wall suddenly. The darkness flooding into the area caused your body to fail due to the ferocity of the attack and the stress on your body. The House Elf was tasked with keeping you alive so, when you started to die, he essentially stopped the process with Elf magic. Elf Magic does not mix well with Wizard magic, according to the Elf, so he needed to get you to a Wizard. He asked his master and his master said to do as he wished. This caused the Elf to seek out his former Mistress. Mister and Miss Black brought you here.”

The Healer rubbed his eyes, “When you were brought in, you were suffering from core death.”

Dmitri had known what he was doing. Core death had been his goal. It would be a quick death due to his deteriorated strength. “So why am I alive? I can’t feel my magic so I assume my core did, in fact, die.”

“We tried to restart your core but there was just too much damage internally. The draining coupled with Cruciatus exposure meant your physical health was too far depleted for the treatment to work, our only option was to heal you physically as your core died and hope you were one of the few to survive the death of your magic.” The Healer shrugged, “As you can see and feel, you have survived where most do not.”

“What do I do now?”

It was a good question, and one the Healer had no answer for. “I can’t tell you that. I know that most occupations require magic to perform. I can also tell you that you will be more susceptible to diseases, both magical and mundane, due to your lack of magic.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “You are lucky to be alive, Mister Markov, and your family is euphoric. I don’t think they will mind that you no longer have magic; from what I have seen, I think they will do all they can to help you find your way now that your life is different. Before I let them see you, the Head of the DMLE, Madam Amelia Bones, would like to speak with you. Are you up for it or would you like to rest first?”

Dmitri opened his mouth to respond immediately but paused to take stock. He was exhausted but he wanted to speak with the British Law Enforcement offices as soon as humanly possible. “I would like to see her now.”

Healer Creswell nodded, “I will contact her now. I will also be letting your family know that you have awoken fully and that you will be speaking with Madam Bones. Once you have finished your conversation with Madam Bones, I will allow your family into your room; don’t push yourself to stay awake for anyone. When you are tired, let yourself sleep. At this point, rest is one of the best things for you.”

“Thank you, Healer.”

Dmitri watched the Healer leave the room and took another deep breath. 

He was alive. He had no magic.

Life would be different from that point forward. He would need a new job, as working with magical creatures would be impossible without a wand. He would need to move; his home was in an entirely magical area and most of his things required magic to function. 

His future was daunting.

He was surprised when the door opened less than ten minutes after the Healer left. A woman with a monocle stepped through, followed by a tall black man.

“Good afternoon, Mister Markov, I am Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement here in Britain. This is one of my Senior Aurors, Kingsley Shacklebolt.” Both extended their hands to Dmitri and he barely managed to get the two handshakes. “We would like to ask you some questions about what happened to you both during the World Cup Final and while you were held captive.”

Shacklebolt stepped forward, “What do you remember about the night of the Death Eater attack at the Final?”

Dmitri closed his eyes and thought back, “I was partying with some friends in a section that was mostly Bulgarian. Vic had said that he wasn’t sure they could win the match but he would catch the snitch, so I made a bet with a friend saying Ireland would win but Vic would get the snitch; I made quite a bit on that bet because a lot of others heard it and bet against me.

“We were toasting the greatness of Vic when the screaming started. A few of us ran out and found chaos. Tents were on fire and everyone was running in every direction. I tried to help get people to safety and with the security layout from earlier, we all figured that heading back toward the stadium would be best as it was closer than the Portkey stations. 

“I was one of the last to leave the area and decided to sweep the area and the woods around it for stragglers. I didn’t find anyone so I headed out myself, jogging toward the perceived safer zones. I know I got hit with a stunner because I woke up in a windowless, stone room on a thin mattress sometime later.”

“Did you see who cast the spell?” Shacklebolt asked when he paused.

“No,” Dmitri shook his head but wished he hadn’t, it made him dizzy. “There might have been someone in the shadows but I didn’t see them or I would have tried to counter the attack.”

Amelia stepped forward, “What happened while you were in that room?”

“Nothing for a while. A few hours after I woke up, a man with long, white-blond hair came in and introduced himself as Lord Lucius Malfoy. He then proceeded to cast the Cruciatus curse and the Imperius Curse on me for about an hour; at least I think it was an hour; the pain muddled things for me.”

“You say he introduced himself to you?” Shack clarified.

“Yes, I asked him why he felt the need to do that considering I could identify him if I got free but he said it wouldn’t matter that I knew his name because I was going to die before seeing anyone that could help me. He said escape was impossible.”

“Could you describe a bit more about him?” Amelia asked.

Dmitri closed his eyes again and brought an image Lucius Malfoy forward. “Pointed face, grey eyes, white blond hair that went past his shoulders. He had on expensive looking robes and carried a walking stick with a snake head. The snake head was actually part of his wand. He was pompous and hated the other guy but worked with him anyway. Malfoy was not in charge and hated it.”

The two Law Enforcement officers shared a knowing look, “Did the other man introduce himself?”

“No, no he didn’t. Malfoy started to call him by his name but he cut him off. One of his names starts with an N, or an n sound, but beyond that I don’t know. I will say the other man was older than Malfoy, perhaps old enough to be Malfoy’s father. He had dark, short hair that was peppered with silver. His nose was straight but larger than Malfoys. His eyes were dark brown, so dark that they almost looked black in the poor light.” He gulped, trying to work some saliva around his dry mouth, “He didn’t cast any spells on me, he just put the ring on my finger and told me it would kill me while resurrecting Lord Voldemort.” 

Before his ordeal, he didn’t think he could say the name; after it, he didn’t think it was such a big deal and seeing that neither Auror flinched made him feel a lot better. People tasked with fighting dark forces should not be afraid of a name or a memory. “This one was smarter than Malfoy.”

The questions continued for a while. Dmitri gave as much detail as he could; describing each conversation he had with his captors and his phantom as best as he could. He knew he did not give a word for word account, his lack of strength at the end made his memory fuzzy, but he got the gist of it. “I did what I could, but I didn’t do enough.”

Amelia leaned in and gripped his hand, “Mister Markov, you have done more than many could ever claim. You may not have stopped his rise, but you did manage to delay him. By his own admission, he will need months of rituals to get to full strength. I will not let those months go to waste. I will do everything in my power to take him down before he is at full power and the fact that you have handed Lucius Malfoy to me will make that much easier than it would be otherwise.”

The Aurors stepped back from the bed, “We are going to leave you now, allow you to get some rest. If you think of anything else, have the Healers contact me.” They stood at the door, Shacklebolt in the hallway while Bones looked back at Dmitri, “Thank you, Mister Markov. You are a brave young man and you may have saved hundreds of lives.” 

**Grimmauld Place**

**Tragedy for House Malfoy!**

_Lucius Malfoy, head of the respected Malfoy family and one of Wizarding Britain’s most prominent figures, was arrested yesterday while on his way to meet with the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Reports coming out of the DMLE, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, claim that Mister Malfoy was arrested in connection with a kidnapping case as well as for use of not one but two unforgivable curses. Warrants were presented at the arrest._

_The Malfoy family has been…_

The article went on to give details about the Malfoy family, Narcissa Black and his new wife Magdalena. Rita, as usual, added her own opinions of the matter toward the end. 

Narcissa stared down at the front-page article and its accompanying photo and felt nothing. Okay, not nothing but she didn’t feel what she expected. She would have expected to feel triumph or joy; would have hoped she wouldn’t feel sadness or anger on his behalf. What she actually felt was indifference. She was utterly and absolutely calm and unaffected by the whole business.

“He deserves it,” Severus whispered in her ear before kissing her temple. He stood behind her, reading over her shoulder. 

“He does,” she agreed, turning her head enough to look him in the eye. If anyone deserved to be arrested for various crimes it was her ex. Lucius had been committing crimes for years with no repercussions and there was nothing she could have done about it. Contractually, as his wife she was not able to testify against him. “Is it wrong that I don’t feel any sympathy for him or his new wife?”

“Why should you feel sympathy for them? Lucius has been buying his way out of trouble for years but that won’t work now because he isn’t the biggest fish out there anymore. She should be well aware of who and what he is. Her father was aware and he approved the union, so she should have been fully briefed.”

“She announced she was pregnant at a luncheon last week. Lady Selwyn thought it of the utmost importance to track me down and tell me directly after their little gossip session.”

Severus slid into the seat beside her and took her hand. “Did she really? You didn’t tell me.”

Narcissa nodded and gripped his fingers tightly. “It barely affected me. I am utterly over it.” She kissed his cheek when she saw that his worry had not dissipated. “According to Lady Selwyn, Magdalena claims Lucius is ecstatic, though I find that hard to believe as he rarely appears pleased with anything let alone ecstatic. She is elated. I should feel sorry for her, as she is going to be raising the child alone, but I don’t.”

“I think the child will be better off without Lucius, don’t you?”

“While that is true, I doubt the child will receive the education and care needed from that simple-minded young woman.” Magdalena was not known for her intelligence. 

Severus took the paper from her and finished reading the article, “I see Skeeter continues to show her favoritism for Malfoy in the article.” 

Rita Skeeter’s article about the arrest, that actually happened in the Ministry, focused on the injustice done to one of the most prominent members of their society. She claimed the DMLE’s actions were illegal and they had no evidence to support his arrest. She claimed that Madam Bones had declined commenting on the arrest but they suspected that Skeeter had forgotten to ask.

“Lucius still pays her to curb any articles about him. She is probably hoping this article will get her a sizable bonus. It won’t because there is a great deal of evidence against him and the Goblins will freeze his accounts when they learn he was once again in possession of a Horcrux but she can dream.” 

Severus hummed in agreement. “This is in response to Mister Markov ending up in the kitchen, right?”

Narcissa nodded, “He spoke to Amelia when he woke up and Lucius actually introduced himself to Dmitri.”

“Arrogance and stupidity, which is to be expected with him.”

Narcissa nodded and turned to Severus, allowing her nagging fears to surface. “I am fine and almost unaffected by this, you can see that. Would you please go check on Draco? I need to know that his father’s actions and arrest aren’t causing him any problems.”

Severus kissed her, soft and slow. He knew she would get word from Harry, Remus and Draco shortly, most likely informing her Draco was fine but she would not rest until Severus told her he was fine. “Anything for you, my dear.”

As Severus left the room, Narcissa grabbed the paper again and studied the picture of her former husband. He looked as he always did, dressed to the nines and pompous; that is until Aurors surrounded him and pulled his hands behind his back, taking his wand from him. She could see him speaking in the picture and assumed he was threatening them with his connection to Minister Fudge. Narcissa quite liked the picture.

“I wonder if Sirius would let me frame this and hang it near the Floo,” she pondered to the empty room and smiled mischievously. They could title it ‘Downfall of a Dunderhead.’

**Hogwarts Grounds**

The first few weeks back had been both stressful and enjoyable. Those competing in the competitions were stressed while those watching had enjoyed the show. So far, four quidditch matches had been played. Each school had won one match; incidentally those wins were for Harry, Aimee and Viktor’s teams. The fourth match, played the second Saturday in January, was a match placing the two losing teams from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang against each other. Durmstrang’s Manticores had won that match.

Beauxbatons was in the lead for the academic competition. They had won the Arithmancy, History and Transfiguration competitions. Hogwarts had won the Runes competition due to the pure brilliance of the Runes prodigy of Hogwarts, Daniel Jackson. Durmstrang had managed second only in the Transfiguration competition.

Now it was time for the second task of the Triwizard Tournament.

“Welcome to the second task of the Triwizard Tournament!” Ludo Bagman shouted despite the Sonorous spell he had activated. “As you all know, each champion faced off against a dragon in the last task and were instructed to find four eggs within the hour time limit. Misters Potter and Krum found all four eggs, while Miss Delacour and Mister Diggory only managed three eggs a piece. In the end, Mister Potter took a narrow lead over his older competitors with an impressive use of his mysterious Parseltongue abilities. I doubt that will help him here.”

The crowd cheered from their seats around and above the Black Lake. It was a bitterly cold January afternoon, snow clung to the ground and it was miraculous that the lake wasn’t frozen over; they had probably needed to deice it before the stands were in place. The four champions stood on a small dock, bundled in their warmest cloaks with heating charms to battle the bitter wind. 

“As I said, the champions were tasked with retrieving eggs in the last task, each of those eggs held a clue about today’s competition. One of the eggs told them they would have an hour and a half to complete the tasks placed before them. Miss Delacour did not find the egg containing this clue, I hope she is prepared for the time limit.

“There are two main parts to today’s task and the champions can attempt to complete them in any order. The Blue egg, collected by each champion, held a message; but this was no ordinary message. When opened, the message appears to be no more than screeching unless placed in water. You guessed it, the message was in Mermish. I will not bore you with the poem Mister Crouch wrote because it is horrible, he really is not a poet. It essentially told them they would have to compete under water! Fear not, Lord Black has found a solution to your viewing difficulties. Each champion will have a spelled mirror that will follow them. That mirror will transmit a picture of the champion and their actions to the large viewing screens you see around the area.”

Sirius, who was standing on the dock with Remus, waved his wand and four mirrors floated up and circled the champions. Each champion was instantly projected on one of the four large screens, all of them now waving, in front of the stands. The audience loved it.

“Fantastic work, Lord Black!” Bagman gushed. “The red egg, also retrieved by all champions, held a doll. This doll was a representation of what the champions will need to retrieve in one portion of the task. A hostage was taken from each champion. Miss Delacour will be searching for her date to the Yule Ball, Mikhail Markov. Mister Krum will need to find his date to the Yule Ball, Hogwarts student and academic team captain, Quinn Hawkins. Mister Diggory will also be looking for his date to the Yule Ball, Miss Cho Chang. And of course, Harry Potter will need to find his best friend and girlfriend, Hermione Granger.

“As I said, there are two parts to this task so finding their hostage will not be the end of it. The next part requires the champions to go to an underwater castle. This castle will be encased in an air bubble so they will not be in the water when in the castle. Somewhere in the castle is an item that will help them in a future task. If they do not find their item before time runs out, they will be at a disadvantage later on in the competition. Fear not, the competitors cannot sabotage their competition; each person can only lay hands on the item tagged with their color. Miss Delacour needs to grab the blue item, Mister Krum the red, Yellow for Mister Diggory and Green for Mister Potter. To make this a bit more reasonable, the items have each been placed in a separate tower. Don’t worry ladies and gentlemen, having the items in the tower will not make this an easy find.

“One last thing, the champions can do this in any order. If they choose to retrieve their hostage first, the hostage can help during the second portion. Of course, the hostage may also be a hindrance so choose wisely, champions.” Bagman looked at his pocket watch and then back up at the audience. “We are about to begin. When the cannon sounds, the time limit begins. Remember, you only have an hour and a half. If you are not back on the docks at the end of the time limit, you cannot get full points on this task. All contestants and hostages will instantly be Portkeyed to the dock when time runs out if they are still in the water. Get ready champions.” 

Each of the four pushed off their heavy cloaks and checked to make sure everything was ready. Harry checked his wand holster, knife and pockets. He pulled a small bundle of something green and slimy from one pocket and held it loosely in his hand.

“The task will begin in five… four… three… two…

The cannon sounded and the champions dove or jumped into the water. Harry, not being the strongest of swimmers jumped. As he jumped, he shoved the green mass into his mouth and swallowed. Gillyweed, his solution to being able to spend more than a few seconds under water at a time. He thanked Merlin for Neville’s love of plants.

Gillyweed was interesting to say the least. He had practiced a few times, in the bitter cold Black Lake, to scout around. He knew exactly where the Mer-village was and how long it would take him to get there. His practice had also included seeing how long different amounts of Gillyweed gave him the ability to breath in water. He had put about half an hour’s worth of the plant in his mouth for the first stretch. If it took him longer, he would eat fifteen-minute portions until he made it to the castle. If he miscalculated, he did have a potion that would reverse the effects, but it was rather unpleasant so he hoped he didn’t miscalculate.

Harry made good time. He skimmed over the seaweed at the bottom of the lake that was infested with Grindylows and swam straight to the village. He knew Hermione would be helpful if he took her with him to the castle. He trusted her, more than anyone else, to have his back and come up with a good plan to search for his mystery item.

When he heard the singing, he knew he was close. It was odd, the Merpeople sang a lot. It was beautiful but strange. He kind of wondered if they realized they sang all the time or if it was like talking for them. Maybe it just sounded like music to human ears.

There was something different about the village; he noticed it instantly. When he had been there before, everything was about the same height, now there were four obelisks, located at four corners of the little city. Harry paused in his advance and thought hard about the spell he wanted to perform. The only problem with Gillyweed was it was hard to cast spells because the gills altered his pronunciation. He had been practicing various spells with various alterations to his voice. If he focused, he could cast his most common spells while barely speaking the incantation. Hermione said he might be able to cast a few non-verbally.

“Point me, Hermione.” 

His wand spun to the left. He kicked his webbed feel and swam in the direction his wand pointed. Harry had a feeling he would be the only one grabbing his hostage before heading to the castle and he was okay with that. The others were better with magic because they had a larger knowledge base. Having Hermione there to help him would shorten that gap marginally.

It was strange, he had not run into any problems yet and that seemed like an impossibility. Weren’t these tasks supposed to be challenging? So far, there was absolutely no challenge to this task and he had been in it for about fifteen minutes. Hermione floated near the bottom of the lake, the obelisk towering above her a small map painted on the side just above her head. She had a bubble head charm cast on her, meaning that she would be able to breath once she woke, which he guessed would be when he touched her. 

He freed Hermione from the obelisk she was tied to using his knife; a knife Sirius gave him that was supposed to unlock any locks and cut just fine too. When he touched her hand, her eyes opened and she looked around in shock and a bit of fear. Knowing you would be used as a hostage and held in the Black Lake, and finding yourself in the Black Lake were vastly different things. 

She started to struggle slightly, waking under the water, still wearing her over robes was not ideal. Harry gripped her hand tightly, trying to reassure her. After a moment, she calmed enough to allow Harry to help her pull off the robe so that she was less restricted. They had talked about what might happen if she was his hostage and if she were to wake in the water. Hermione was supposed to wrap her arms around his waist so that his arms and legs were free to pull them through the water. 

Harry studied the little map one last time, to ensure it was what it appeared to be and that he understood the directions. The map showed the location of the castle. He knew the area from his searches. Before, the place the map indicated had been a deep, rocky crevasse. He assumed that the castle would be floating near the start of the drop off into the fissure; he did not want to guess as to what was hidden in those deep, murky waters.

The young Hogwarts champion knew he would be cutting it close. It took him about ten minutes to swim from the Mer-village to the crevasse and he had about twelve minutes of Gillyweed left. Carrying Hermione would most likely slow his speed but having her swim without webbed limbs would slow him more so he had to chance it. He could swallow another fifteen-minute batch of Gillyweed but he really didn’t want to use the counter potion if he didn’t have to – it tasted awful and left his throat raw and sore because it forced him to vomit up the Gillyweed.

With that in mind, Harry sped through the water as fast as he could. 

He could feel the change starting to happen when the fantasy castle came into view. His gills were closing and his webbed fingers and toes were becoming normal fingers and toes. Harry took a final deep breath of air from the water and then he was himself again. Hermione’s arms loosened and then she was beside him. Both teens started swimming toward the castle sitting inside a giant iridescent bubble. It was luck, more than skill that had Harry bursting through the bubble before he swallowed any lake water. 

Hermione was at his side instantly, her air bubble gone the moment she entered the castle. “Are you alright?”

Harry took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, just cut that a little close. Would you mind hitting me with a drying charm? You’re better at them than I am.”

She smiled and cast the spell on him and then herself. “So, what do you have to do now?”

“We have to search this place for an item that will be useful in a future task. Each champion has one item somewhere within one of the four towers. The items are color coded so that you can only touch your color. Mine will be green.”

“Did they give any indication as to what the item is?”

“No, nothing.”

“How much time do we have left?”

“Fifty-five minutes to get to the dock. I would be fine with just finding the item in that time though. Bagman said we could not get full points if we didn’t reach the dock by the end of the time limit. If we are not on the dock, we will all be Portkeyed to the dock so if you haven’t completed one portion of the task, you are out of luck.”

“Alright. So, that means we have at most about thirteen minutes to search each tower, assuming that it will be in the fourth tower we search.”

“Should we start with the one furthest from the front door?”

“No, I think we start with the closest and work from there. That way if there is a way to leave the towers instead of the front, we will be saving time.”

“Alright, so we head up.” Harry started toward the nearest staircase, Hermione at his heels.

Being Gryffindors, Harry and Hermione were used to trudging up and down staircases everyday so they could move quickly. Harry thought that might give him a slight advantage over Cedric who, being a Hufflepuff, slept near the ground floor and did not need to go up and down quite as often. “A few years ago, I would have said I hated stairs,” Harry joked. “Now going up and down hundreds of stairs a day is nothing.”

“Perhaps that is one of the reasons we don’t have physical education courses. Students get a bit of exercise just going from their common rooms to classes and meals.” Hermione smiled at him. It was true, when they were first years they had often had sore legs after a day of traversing stairs. 

They were about half way up the tower when they saw someone coming down ahead of them. It was Viktor. “This tower is empty. It held my item.” The Bulgarian said without them asking. 

“Thanks, Viktor. I think you are in the lead on this one. The Mer-village isn’t far.”

“Good luck, Harry Potter.”

The three headed back down a flight of stairs only for Viktor to pause at a doorway. “Take this hall and it will lead to the closest tower. I do not know which color that room holds. I could not enter and that is all I know. You will only be able to enter the room if it holds your item.”

“Thanks again,” Harry shook his hand. “Head directly north from the front entrance to find the Mer-village. When you hear singing, you are close.”

Viktor nodded and started jogging back down the stairs.

“We should hurry. We only have forty-five minutes and I didn’t judge travel time when I calculated the search times.” Hermione started walking quickly down the hall, assuming Harry would follow.

They found a smiling Fleur rushing down the stairs of the next tower. Her path obviously headed toward the door. “I think we can assume that her item was in this tower.” Hermione watched the blond for a moment, “I don’t think she would have climbed up another set of stairs on the off chance someone else would be heading up when she was heading down.”

“I agree,” Harry grabbed her hand and started to pull her toward the next tower. “I think I might get last in this one.”

“You don’t know that, Harry. The others could have a problem with the creatures native to the lake. We could also find the item quickly; you are really good at finding hiding places.”

It was true, Harry’s history of hiding items from his aunt and uncle gave him an innate sense for good places to hide things. Perhaps he wouldn’t make a fool of himself after all. 

There was no one on the nest staircase. Harry and Hermione rushed up the spiraling stairs hoping they found the top room soon. They were approaching the thirty-five-minute mark and did not want to miss out on finding the item. The castle was large, rivaling Hogwarts for the length of hallways making travel take longer than anticipated. 

They were gasping slightly when they reached the final landing. Harry took a deep, cleansing breath and attempted to step through the arched doorway. He was not barred from the room. “Well, that is a relief, I really wasn’t looking forward to going down those stairs to then have to head down the hallway and go up the final set of stairs.”

Hermione smiled at him, “Saves time as well.” She stepped into the room as well and froze. Harry had not noticed the obstacle in the room. “Harry, we will have to be careful.” She pointed at something in the middle of the room.

Harry turned to see Doxies. “I didn’t bring any Doxicide.”

“We can use the Knockback jinx.”

“True but there are a lot of them and if we anger the queen they will swarm.”

“I can attempt to immobilize them.”

“I think the best way to deal with this is for you to keep them off me while I search.” 

Harry and Hermione both remembered Remus’s lesson on Doxies and knew that one or two doxies would not be a problem, a swarm, on the other hand, was a different story. Doxies were slightly poisonous; one or two bites wouldn’t even bother most humans; hundreds of bites could render the individual unconscious. If you did fall unconscious it was possible to die due to severe poisoning. 

“Okay,” Hermione looked at the gleefully playing Doxies warily. “Move quickly and quietly. The longer they remain oblivious the better.”

Harry didn’t respond, he just started scanning the room for the best places to hide objects. He could see a few, but he had a sinking feeling that his item was hidden across the room, directly under the largest grouping of Doxies. Hoping he was incorrect, Harry slid along the wall toward the nearest possible hidey hole. Nothing there.

“Flipendo,” he heard Hermione whisper. 

He looked up to see a Doxy get pushed away from him. Harry smiled at his girlfriend before moving on to the next spot. He kept low as the Doxies seemed to be most interested in the chandelier and curtains. There was nothing in that hiding place either. 

Hermione had cast another four Knockback jinxes while he was searching and traveling across the room. 

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I am going to need to search directly under the swarm. When I give the signal, I want you to cast an Immobulous on the swarm and I will work as quickly as possible.” Both knew the Immobulous would only work for so long. It worked fine on the drones but the queen would be able to fight it and, once freed, would free her drones.

“Okay,” Hermione spoke just as quietly. She had inched further into the room but was still relatively close to the door. She knew that being close to the door would allow her to counter the Doxies if Harry needed to make a quick retreat, once he was through the door, he could cover her own escape. “I am ready when you are.”

Harry crouched so low, he was nearly crawling. It was hard not to look up at the Doxies, but he forced himself to focus on the grandfather clock placed against the back wall. Somehow, he just knew that his item was located either inside, on or under the brilliant wooden clock.

When directly in front of the clock, Harry turned and looked at Hermione. Their eyes met and he nodded.

Hermione raised her wand, “IMMOBULUS!” she shouted. She pushed all the strength and determination into the spell she could, hoping that she could buy Harry enough time.

Harry instantly opened the long door on the front of the clock and reached inside. His hands ran over every inch of the clock’s innards. 

He found nothing. 

He pushed the door shut and reached under the clock, sweeping his hand along the floor and bottom of the clock base. 

Still nothing. 

Finally, Harry rose to his feet and looked at the top and behind the grandfather clock. The top of the clock was slanted, going to a triangular peak at the middle so nothing could be placed there. He slid to the side of the clock and could see that the clock was not flush with the stone wall so he started to swipe his hand along the back of the clock, starting at the top and working his way down. 

Around the middle, he got lucky. His hand hit something metal. He twisted his wrist and wrapped his fingers around the object. 

He didn’t take the time to see what it was. He could hear the Doxies starting to swarm again. 

Harry ran with all the speed he had toward the door. 

“Flipendo!” Hermione cast again, with more volume and power. Hermione always shouted when she wanted to put power behind her spells. 

Harry didn’t look back. He stayed low and pushed himself forward, running directly at his girlfriend. Lowering his shoulder, he slowed just long enough to pick Hermione up, so that her torso was laid over his thin shoulder, and continued to run, taking her with him. 

They tumbled out of the arched doorway and Harry kicked the wooden door shut behind them.

“Found it,” Harry gasped from his position on the floor.

“That’s nice,” Hermione groaned slightly. “Can you get off me now?”

Harry pushed up onto his hands and knees and looked down at her. His head had been resting just below her neck, his shoulder still pressed into her stomach. He leaned down and placed a light kiss on her lips. “Thank you. I knew I couldn’t do that without you.”

She smiled, “You’re welcome. Now, I suggest we get out of here.” 

Harry looked down at his watch. Twenty minutes. They were cutting it close. He pushed to his feet and helped her up as well. “If we want to make it to the docks we are going to have to run.”

“Lead the way.”

Harry and Hermione tore down the stairs as quickly as they could; something they had practice doing. It didn’t take too long to reach the ground floor, about five minutes in all. From there it was just a straight shot to the door. Harry dug in his pockets as they ran, he took out two fifteen-minute portions of Gillyweed, handing one to Hermione. 

“We are going to have to go fast if we want to make it in time. We are farther from the dock than the Mer-village is so I don’t know if we'll make it there in time or not but we will be close.”

“I won’t slow you down, Harry.”

“Changing isn’t a comfortable feeling; ignore it and let it happen. Keep close and I will lead you away from the general places you might run into trouble.”

“I trust you,” Hermione gripped his hand briefly.

They pushed the door open together and dove straight into the water while shoving the Gillyweed into their mouths. Despite the uncomfortable feeling, Hermione did as Harry instructed and just kept swimming. He set a grueling pace but it wasn’t as bad when her hands became webbed. She toed off her shoes and socks to free her now webbed feet so that she had better traction in the water. 

They swam over the Mer-village, angling up so that they were traveling in a more direct route toward the docks. 

Harry looked down at his watch and knew they would not make it. Internally, he started counting down. Sixty seconds left. 

The water was starting to get lighter and he could now see more than just a few feet in front of himself. 

Thirty seconds remaining. 

Hermione looked at him with slight panic; their gills were starting to close. 

Ten seconds. 

Their gills were closed and their hands and feet had returned to normal.

Three… Two… One…

Harry felt the pull of the Portkey and then he was spinning. 

The cold and the wet made it difficult to land. Harry and Hermione found themselves in a tangled pile on the dock. It appeared that Fleur and her hostage were also Portkeyed to the dock. Viktor and Cedric looked down on them like they had been waiting.

“And that is the end of the second task!” Bagman all but cheered. “Here is a recap for our hostages. Cedric Diggory placed first; he went to the castle first and lucked out in choosing the correct tower first. He was faced with a spell that made his movements sluggish in the room, as if he was moving through pudding. Once he found the item, he headed to the Mer-village where he searched for his hostage, Miss Chang. He found her when he arrived at the third obelisk. He quickly freed her and helped her swim toward the docks. Cedric used the bubble head charm for the entire task and finished with six minutes to spare.

“Viktor Krum placed second once again. He too headed toward the castle first, an obvious difference in Krum’s approach was that he used transfiguration and the bubble head charm. He transfigured his legs into a shark’s tail and used the bubble head charm to breath. Krum found his item in the third tower he tried. He was faced with blinding light, making his search challenging as it almost exclusively relied on touch.” Bagman grinned madly as he recapped the performances. “From there he met Harry Potter and they exchanged some words. Krum quickly made his way to the Mer-village, at this point he was about fifteen minutes behind Diggory. He used a point me to determine where his hostage was so he did not waste time searching for Miss Hawkins. Krum finally made it to the dock with a minute and a half to spare.”

Bagman turned to the judges, “Have you determined who placed third?”

They nodded and Crouch stepped forward, “We have decided that Mister Potter will place third, due to the fact that he is uninjured.”

“Alright,” Bagman sounded pleased by this. He gave a rundown of Harry’s performance, complimenting him on being the only one to retrieve his hostage first. Hermione was an obvious help.

“Finally, placing last in this competition, is Miss Delacour.” There were some boos from the Beauxbatons students. “She used the bubble head charm and found her item first. Was behind the other two in this area having to check two towers. Her room was spelled to create debilitating soundwaves that could cause headaches and disturb balance. She did well despite stumbling around and made her way toward the Mer-village. By the time she arrived, she was about two minutes behind Mister Krum. She found Mister Markov quickly and they headed toward the docks. It was then they ran into trouble. They swam just a bit too close to the lake bottom and were attacked by the lake’s Grindylow population. They had just freed themselves from the seaweed and the attacking forces when the Portkey activated.

“All contestants found their item,” he looked at them critically, “keep it safe as it will be useful in the sixth task of the tournament.

Crouch stepped forward. “Mister Diggory will receive forty-seven out of fifty points, the fact that he did not use a point-me to find his hostage was disappointing. Krum will receive forty points for his second-place finish.” Crouch looked out at the crowd to gage their reaction. “Harry Potter will be given thirty-five points and Miss Delacour thirty. The final standings, after two tasks, put Mister Krum in first with 84 points. Mister Potter and Mister Diggory are tied with 80 points. Miss Delacour will end in last place, trailing with 66 points.” 

The crowd cheered at different times; the loudest being when the tie was announced. “The third task of the tournament will be held on the third Saturday of February. Prepare yourself contestants; the next task will put your knowledge and critical thinking skills to the test. The item you retrieved in the lake will not be useful in the next task so don’t think it is a clue to help you next month.”


	31. Knowledge and Reflection

**Hogwarts, Great Hall**

Life was interesting. Things were constantly changing, though people rarely noticed because the change was gradual. Oftentimes, people didn’t even realize there was anything different until years later. But for one, Hermione Granger, that subtle change was obvious.

Hermione was an observer, always had been and probably always would be. At first, she observed because she didn’t fit in and knowing people was the best way to protect herself from disappointment and heartbreak. She had no friends her age and no one around her understood her. Starting Hogwarts didn’t change things the way she thought it would. Her muggleborn childhood made her different than many of her new classmates and her intelligence and love of learning caused a rift with the rest, so she was still on the outside looking in. 

Then she met Harry Potter. It wasn’t learning she was magical that changed her life, it was finding her best friend and the boy she now hoped to spend the rest of her life with. 

Now, Hermione Granger participated. 

Someone like Hermione would never forget her past, it wasn’t who she was, so despite Harry bringing her into the world, she still observed. It was because of this that she saw the start of a brighter future and it started with the most unlikely of people.

Hogwarts, though it should have been, was not a safe haven. The danger didn’t lie in evil teachers or dangerous creatures, even though they had experienced both, the danger came from prejudice. Wars had been fought the world over for any number of reasons and Hogwarts, and Wizarding Britain, had been on the brink of war for a long time. Or maybe they had been in the midst of war for a long time, it was hard to tell. 

Blood status ruled their lives and it was utterly ridiculous. When she arrived, people with green lined robes looked down on her because of who her parents were. It wasn’t that she was poor, her parents were quite well off, it was because they held no magic. Kids in red robes hated kids in green because a few horrible people used to wear those robes. Claws thought themselves superior simply because they tended to get the best grades and Puffs claimed to be kind but tended to exclude anyone not wearing badger yellow. Hogwarts wasn’t the UN; it was a warzone. 

But that was all changing. 

She looked around in wonder. The Great Hall had been altered to host the first of the Dueling Competitions. Where there once sat four house tables, there was now a large dueling ring surrounded by stadium style bleachers. There would be three competitions and the school with the highest score overall would be crowned the champions. There would be an additional scoring guide judging each individual competitor; at the end of the year, they would award medals to the first, second and third best duelers. Today, Hogwarts would face Beauxbatons. 

In the past, students would sit with their houses, Gryffindors sitting as far away from Slytherins as they could possibly get; that wasn’t the case anymore.

She glanced down the bench to her right and looked at Draco Black, formerly Draco Malfoy the Pure-blood prince himself. Draco used to be the most irritating person she was acquainted with; he was rude, careless, violent, crass and, above all, prejudice. Now he sat close to his new Muggle-born girlfriend, holding her hand and whispering in her ear as she giggled. He used to take every opportunity available to verbally attack Harry and any muggleborn that crossed his path. Now Harry was like a brother to him and he was friends with a fair number of first-generation witches and wizards.

Draco was not the only one to change and he wasn’t the first. The first, was Professor Severus Snape. If there was anyone who deserved to hold onto his anger and resentment, it was the brilliant professor. Professor Snape had been wronged by people on both sides of the blood argument and, because of it, had made copious mistakes. He hadn’t dealt with his pain well, the sins of the father and all that, but he seemed to have a lot of trouble separating the past from the present. Hermione was proud of her Professor for giving Harry another chance. She recognized the fact that Harry had been extremely disrespectful during their first class, not that Snape had acted properly, but Harry had been disrespectful. The two battled often after that. After the Basilisk incident, however, Harry and Professor Snape rebuilt their relationship and things were much better now. 

It was Professor Snape who inspired the change in his students. They saw his acceptance and realized that they didn’t have to follow the status quo. First it was Draco, though his change had a lot to do with his mother, then it was Zabini and Greengrass. The quidditch players, Goyle and even Flint. Finally, there was Theo Nott. They knew what his father was up to, but Theo wanted nothing to do with his father, his actions or ideals. Like Goyle, who was battling his father’s reputation, he wanted to forge his own path. He did so by sitting next to a smiling Fay Dunbar. 

The Hufflepuffs were more inclusive and the Ravenclaws shared their knowledge instead of hoarding it. They say that children are the future and, for the first time in a long time, Hermione was not so afraid of the future she and her peers were writing.

“Interesting show?”

Hermione glanced at Harry as he slid into the seat next to her, Neville on his other side. “Not really, I’m just reflecting. Do you realize how much the school has changed since the end of second year?”

Harry slid an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, “It’s like a whole different school. I woke up the other day and realized I couldn’t remember the last time I saw Slytherins and Gryffindors throwing hexes in the halls.”

“I can’t remember the last time someone put me in a leg locker,” Neville grinned. Draco used to do that often and Neville always had to find either Harry or Hermione to free him. 

“It feels different, doesn’t it?”

Harry nodded, “Yeah, it does.” He took a breath, as if trying to detect a certain smell, “I can’t pinpoint what it is but it feels like a completely different place.”

“Perhaps, you feel safe, Harry Potter.”

They turned to see a small blond with dreamy sliver-grey eyes staring absently at them, a slight smile curving her lips. In her lap was a large, slightly ugly ginger cat.

“How can that be? Harry is in a tournament that could kill him against his will?”

She turned her attention to Neville, “Danger does not lie within the castle, Neville Longbottom. Harry Potter has nothing to fear from this place or those who reside here. He is not running from a teacher and does not fear the students any longer.” Her suddenly piercing gaze locked on Harry’s, “You and those around you are no longer fighting alone. You have the support of those who came before you so you no longer fear the unknown. Within the castle walls you are free to be a student. You are free to experience the childhood you have been denied for so long.”

Hermione blinked and grabbed Harry’s hand. She knew the younger girl’s words had triggered something in him. “That is rather insightful. It’s Luna, right? Luna Lovegood?”

“Yes, Hermione Granger, my name is Luna, and this,” she made the surly looking cat wave, “is Crookshanks.”

“Would you like to sit with us Luna?” Hermione had instantly noticed she was sitting alone and those around her made a point of leaving space around her. Hermione remembered what that was like and didn’t like anyone experiencing that kind of rejection. The fact that Luna was still an outcast proved that things were not completely fixed yet. Change took time and someone needed to be brave enough to take that first step; she would be brave for Luna, not that it took a great deal of bravery to get to know someone. 

She smiled sweetly and nodded. “I would like that. That is if I wouldn’t be a bother?” 

Harry smiled kindly, “Please join us, Luna.”

She stood from her seat, looked left and right to see the clearest path but was dismayed to see no clear exits. Luna knew, from experience, her classmates would not make it easy for her to leave that row of seats. Neville stood and held out a hand, “Let me help you. Just step down, I won’t let you fall.”

If it was possible, her smile brightened even more, lighting her up like any child’s face on Christmas morning. For an observer, it was easy to see she had received little kindness from her peers because she was different. Hermione had heard about Luna. Her housemates called her weird because she spoke of things no one else could see. The older Gryffindor didn’t know if what she saw was real or a defense mechanism but she would not reject the girl for her beliefs. Everyone deserved a chance. 

“Are you enjoying the tournament, Luna?” Neville asked when she was settled.

“Oh, yes. It is quite fascinating. I don’t usually watch quidditch but I am enjoying seeing the different strategies exercised by our guests. Everyone is waiting very impatiently for your match against Mister Krum, Harry. It will be a fantastic match.” She smiled at him before continuing. “I fear we will have little hope of beating Beauxbatons in the academic competition despite our win in Runes. I think we have a chance at winning the Potions competition tomorrow, Professor Snape is the most talented teacher of the three schools, and with Neville’s help we may just win the Herbology competition. Beyond that, Beauxbatons has the advantage in all but DADA.”

Neville blushed and Harry snickered at him.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione turned her attention back to the smaller girl. “I am actually rather excited to see the Potions competition tomorrow. It is so different from the other competitions. I was reading through the agenda, and they have three sections. There is a trivia portion, like all other subjects, that three of the five will compete in. While they are doing that, two of the competitors will be brewing a very complicated potion without the full instructions. The final part, which will happen after both the trivia portion and the brewing portion, will have one competitor from each team attempting to identify a dozen potions with only their natural senses within a twenty-minute time frame.”

“I wonder who they will pick for each portion.”

Hermione nodded. “That has been the hardest part. I have been helping quiz the competitors for each subject but the potions group is having a difficult time deciding who to cast for each portion. Only the potions specialists are, of course the best brewers but they also have the most potions knowledge so you must split them up in the first portion. Zachariah Middleton, the Slytherin, is going to be in the trivia portion because Nicole Frey, the Gryffindor, has an innate sense when it comes to brewing. Samantha Carter is better with trivia so Quinn Hawkins is going to aid in the brewing.”

“Doesn’t that leave the brewing to two Gryffindors?” Harry wondered.

Hermione grinned and nodded. “Funny, isn’t it? Two Gryffindors brewing while two Slytherins and a Ravenclaw cover the trivia.”

“I take it Wendell Fredrick is just doing Trivia?” Neville clarified.

Again, Hermione nodded. “Potions is not his strong suit. He was picked for the All-Around position because of Transfiguration, Charms, and Astronomy. Samantha for her Runes, Arithmancy, Potions and Herbology knowledge while Quinn was chosen for Potions, History, Creatures and DADA.”

“Who will they choose to identify the potions?” Luna asked. 

“I don’t know yet.” Hermione looked around the room. “Professor Snape and Professor Babbling are quizzing Nicole, Zachariah and Quinn on identifications tonight; whoever does the best will be the one to compete tomorrow. I think it will be Nicole.”

Having heard enough about the Potions competition, Harry returned focus to Luna’s opinion of the tournament in general. 

“The individual competitions have been varied and challenging for the competitors, though I am sorry you are forced to compete, Harry Potter, but you are doing wonderfully. I feel sorry for Mister Karkaroff, he is so infested with Wrackspurts that they are impeding his ability to judge properly. It is quite obvious they have clouded his thinking when it comes to you.” She scrunched her nose in thought, completely missing the questioning glances of her companions. “I have been trying to determine which school designed which task. I think it is apparent that Durmstrang designed the first task, it is the most violent and seems like the type of thing they would take pride in. I am leaning toward Hogwarts designing the lake task mostly due to the fact that the lake is here and it would be hard for Beauxbatons to design the task without knowledge of the lake and the ability to talk to the Merpeople.”

“I agree.” Hermione smiled. “I have been trying to guess what might be next and with the past tournaments and Crouch’s assurance that it will use knowledge and critical thinking. Beauxbatons prides itself on its superior curriculum and it was the French ambassadors that insisted on the academic competition, so the knowledge task should be theirs.”

“So,” Harry began, “the next task will be less dangerous than the first but will require me to be more knowledgeable.”

“That is my assessment, yes. I think it will be on par danger wise with the second task, so you should be able to handle that aspect.” Hermione smiled and shrugged. “I could get you some notes from the academic competition practice sessions but I don’t think it would do you much good. If trivia is involved, then there is too much subject material available for you to cover before then. If it is problem solving, then your instincts are better than mine half the time.”

Harry shrugged, “I never thought I could win this. If I score a zero on this task, then I score a zero. I have proven that I am not hopeless despite my age and I hope my performance so far has given my enemy pause. My only goal is survival and if the danger level doesn’t increase then I am going to be just fine.”

“As long as no one interferes with the regular tasks at least.” The small group looked over to the smiling Slytherin. Draco, with his arm around Sally Ann, was standing a few seats over and one row down. “That is what you are worried about isn’t it?”

“Thank you, Draco,” Harry rolled his eyes, “comforting as always. What are you doing here? Weren’t you going to sit with your Slytherin friends?”

Draco shrugged, “Pansy decided to make a nuisance of herself. She was sitting on the other side of the room with Vince and Millie but moved over to sit right behind us and start spewing nonsense.” 

Sally Ann nodded, “it wasn’t bad until she started in on Greg and Theo. She was calling them all sorts of names and saying they were disgraces, dishonoring their fathers with their choices in friends.”

“Plus, she called you every name short of mudblood.”

“It’s Pansy, Draco. She has been calling me names since day one.”

“She’s right,” Hermione agreed with the Hufflepuff. “It is extremely easy to ignore Pansy’s vitriol.” 

“You may be used to it, but we aren’t.” Theo stood just behind the blond Slytherin. Fay, Greg, Blaise and Daphne were with him. “Slytherin was always supposed to stick together, at least outside the common room. There are a few, like Pansy, who now attack anyone who doesn’t agree with them and they are most vicious to Slytherins who don’t agree.”

“Pansy is the hardest on Theo and Greg,” Blaise agreed. “She feels their insistence on not praising their parent’s illegal actions is tantamount to treason for a Slytherin.”

“She is too frightened of Blaise, Draco and I, so she focuses on Theo, Greg and non-Slytherins.” Daphne Greengrass added, her face neutral as always. “I find it amusing that she won’t insult Draco or Fay due to fear but she is happy to insult the people they are dating.”

“No one claimed Pansy was intelligent,” Fay smiled and turned her attention to the Gryffindors. “Short story long, that is why we have decided to sit with you. Pansy is utterly terrified of you now, Harry. She thinks you could kill her just by looking at her wrong because you can speak Parseltongue.”

Theo grinned, “That’s what you get for creating a Basilisk at the first task, Potter.”

Harry blushed, “Snake images are easier to conjure with Parseltongue than Dragons. I couldn’t pull another Hungarian Horntail out of my pocket so I went with the only giant snake I could think of.”

“Yes, we can all agree Harry’s display was impressive and deserving of note, but I think they are about to begin,” Neville nodded toward the Dueling ring. Bagman was walking up the steps, headed toward the center, an unknown man at his side.

“GOOD AFTERNOON STUDENTS, PARENTS and PROFESSORS! The first of the three dueling rounds is about to begin. Today, we pit Beauxbatons against the home team, Hogwarts.” The crowd cheered in support of their chosen school. “Before we begin, allow me to introduce the judge for the competitions. The man standing beside me is an internationally ranked duelist. He placed first in the most recent world championship and is the three-time reigning champion of the American circuit. He attended school in the United States so he has no bias toward any of the competing schools. Please welcome Owen Smith.”

The tall, blond man waved without smiling. “I am going to judge these matches fairly under international rules and standards. I will not allow cheating or foul play.”

Bagman frowned, probably because the younger man didn’t sound overly enthusiastic. “Well, let’s bring out the teams so we can begin.”

**Quidditch Pitch**

The crowd roared with excitement as the chaser line for the Griffins scored again. It was the sixth official quidditch game of the tournament and Hogwarts was in top form. Captain Roger Davis and his second Harry Potter had trained their team well. The chaser line was dominating Durmstrang’s second team, the Manticores. The only thing the Manticores had going for them was a pair of burly beaters that were surprisingly accurate; not that that was really an advantage considering the Weasley twins were their opponents and those two were a handful on any field of play.

February had been a good month for Hogwarts in the competition considering it was only the second week of the month. Hogwarts’ dueling team had squeaked out a win over Beauxbatons in the dueling competition; taking four of the seven matches. The youngest, a fifth year Hufflepuff named Persephone Albright, had won the first match entirely due to her creative spell choice. The next three matches were lost to Beauxbatons; the three sixth year men were angered and embarrassed to lose when the younger female Hufflepuff had been victorious. Maxwell Huntington of Gryffindor, Terrance Cumberbatch of Slytherin and Oswald Winston of Ravenclaw were determined not to lose again. 

The final three matches, fought by three seventh years, were fantastic matches. Lionel Pratchett of Ravenclaw was evenly matched with his female opponent. The match was decided by the judge when they reached the time limit. Lionel had scored more points against his opponent. Points were awarded for accuracy and spell choice. The Beauxbatons seventh year had cast more spells but Lionel had a larger spell repertoire and was much more accurate. Next was the assistant captain, Sebastian Brinkley. The tall Slytherin won his match with a well-timed and well-placed stunner mixed into an extremely long chain of curses he fired at his male opponent ruthlessly. The final match was the most surprising, and the shortest. Grace Wyatt, the Slytherin captain and current Head Girl of Hogwarts, was a tiny girl who did not appear intimidating in the least. Despite her size and appearance, she was a ruthless dueler who won in a record ninety-eight seconds. Her opponent shouldn’t have asked her out on a date following his victory before the match even began.

Their second victory came the next day during the potions competition. Professor Snape smiled that day in a way no one in the castle had ever seen. The Hogwarts team dominated the competition, taking first in all three rounds of competition. The Trivia team answered eighty percent of the questions and only got one question wrong, and that question was only partially wrong; their dominance was quite a feat considering only Samantha and Zachariah spoke during that portion of the event. When the brewed potions were tested, the independent judge said that Nicole and Quinn’s potion was the highest quality potion he had seen in a student since Severus Snape during his NEWT testing. Gryffindor Seventh-year Nicole Frey pulled through again in the final portion of the potions competition by identifying all potions correctly and pointing out a mistake in the brewing process for one of the potions which had caused some slight discoloration in the finished product. The all-out victory in potions caused many students to reconsider their dislike of Professor Snape’s teaching; if Hogwarts so thoroughly trounced the competition, perhaps they should pay more attention to the individual responsible for their training in the subject.

If they won the quidditch match between Hogwarts and Durmstrang, they would be three for three for the inter school competitions held so far in February. With the way the game was going, that victory was all but assured.

A lone Ravenclaw jumped in her seat as the blur that was Harry Potter shot through the air not far from where she sat. Luna stood, like everyone else in the vicinity, to watch the talented seeker speed after the tiny gold snitch. A few moments later, the Durmstrang seeker followed at a slower pace, he did not have Harry Potter’s daredevil approach to flying and despite flying the same broom, could not attain the same top speeds as the younger flyer. As always, it didn’t seem to matter what the snitch did, Harry Potter followed and closed the distance with every second he flew. 

Potter changed his trajectory suddenly, pulling toward the center of the pitch, his arm raised high in the air. He had caught the snitch, winning Hogwarts a victory over Durmstrang, not the victory they wanted as Krum was not flying, but a victory nonetheless.

The little Ravenclaw cheered for her school, watching her schoolmates celebrate and make their way toward the field to congratulate their peers. She sank down into her seat and frowned despite her elation in the win; Luna Lovegood was confused. Life at Hogwarts had not been kind to her so far so she did not know how to react to the way that Harry Potter and his friends had been treating her. 

Her first year had been hard for her. She had been sorted into Ravenclaw, just like her mother, so she had been ecstatic; things had gone downhill from there rather quickly. The kids from magical households had shunned her before even speaking to her because of her father’s reputation. Just because he wrote about things they didn’t believe; they assume she was not worth their time and was Looney. Those students had spread the word to the muggleborn students and her isolation had been solidified within days. It would have been fine if that had been all that they had done. Apparently shunning wasn’t enough for some of her classmates.

When her things started to go missing, she had decided to act as crazy as they accused her of being. If you can’t beat them, join them; or in her case, if you can’t convince them, play along. Playing crazy was fun for a while, now it was kind of tiring. 

Not all the things she said were make believe of course. Luna was different from most everyone else. She had a gift, a gift she had inherited from her mother. Her mother had been a seer; she wasn’t a powerful one, she just saw things when she slept sometimes and those things came true. Luna was a much more powerful seer. She wasn’t the type of seer that the Divination professor was or even claimed to be. Luna did not see the future; she saw the truth and sometimes she saw things as they happened without even being there. 

Her gift allowed her to see beyond the surface of things. She knew truth from lie. She could see to the heart of what made someone who they were. Her gift allowed her to see which students were genuine and which were out to destroy others. She could see that Harry Potter really did want to be her friend. 

Harry Potter was an anomaly. No, not just Harry, his friends were strange too. The world, and her gift, had shown Luna that most people were shallow and self-absorbed. People liked simplicity and shunned that which was different, they shunned people like Luna who were the definition of unique. Harry Potter was not like most people because for most of his life he was just like Luna, shunned for being who and what he was. His outcast childhood had opened him to the trials of life that most did not encounter until they were much older. Despite the pain he experienced, he was a much better person.

Harry’s closest friends were just like he was. Hermione was outcast for her superior intelligence. Neville was forgotten and tormented because of his lack of visible magic. Fay and Draco’s wounds were fresher and they benefited from Harry’s past experiences. Fay was abandoned because of something beyond her control; Draco discovered his father’s teachings may not be the truth and had to choose if he would continue to learn his twisted lessons or become his own man. They really were a large group of misfits.

“Hello, Luna,” Hermione Granger greeted as she sat in the seat next to Luna. “Why are you sitting all alone?”

“I always sit alone, Hermione Granger. My house does not welcome me and the other houses sit as a house.”

“Not for tournament quidditch games.”

Luna nodded in consent; seating was different with these games. Students sat depending on who they cheered for or with their families. “Why are you and Harry Potter so nice to me?”

Hermione blinked. “Why wouldn’t we be nice to you, Luna?”

“No one ever has been.”

The older girl sighed, “The fact that that is true is part of the reason why. Harry and I grew up like you, Luna. Before Hogwarts, we didn’t have friends and were bullied constantly. I at least had a refuge when I got home, Harry didn’t have that. We made our first friends when we came here.” Hermione reached over and grabbed the blonde’s hand, “Hogwarts should be a place of acceptance. We are all magical and all deserve to find ourselves and our place. You haven’t had your chance yet and we would like to be the ones to allow you to find yourself free of scorn.”

“But why?” She knew the reason; she could see the truth in the girl’s heart but she didn’t know how to accept it.

“I can only speak for myself and Harry but I know Neville would say the same; we know what it’s like to be alone. We know what it feels like not to have anyone to support you. We know what it is like to constantly have people to ridicule you for being who you are when you have absolutely no control over that which makes you different.” Hermione smiled a small, sad smile, “I see the girl I was before Harry when I look at you. You use your differences as a defiant shield against the world because you have all but given up on anyone ever accepting you for you. Don’t give up on the world, Luna. Don’t give up on people. You have a place in this wonderful society, you just have to let the world prove to you that we accept you, that we are worthy of your friendship. Can you give us that chance?”

A single tear slid down Luna’s pale cheek. “I would like that, Hermione Granger. I would like that very much.”

“Good, then you are coming to the party with us tonight.” With Valentine’s Day on Tuesday this year, they were holding a smallish party that night. February eleventh may be early for the celebration but it was better to do it early instead of having to worry about classes the following morning if it was held on the actual day. “We are going to be a big group, with couples and single people all together. Plus, Harry wants you to meet his godfather.”

Luna tilted her head, “Why would he want me to meet Sirius Black?”

Hermione smiled, “Harry likes introducing Sirius to his friends and Sirius is kind of like a big kid so he enjoys meeting us too.”

**Great Hall**

“Harry, will you please pay attention?” Hermione sighed in frustration. She had expected this but had hoped he would at least attempt to converse with her and their friends.

“It’s like he doesn’t even want to celebrate Valentine’s Day with his girlfriend,” Draco teased. “He does realize this is a special dinner with dancing to follow, doesn’t he?”

“Shush, Draco,” Fay swatted him on the arm, “You know why he is paying more attention to the door than Hermione.”

“He could still make the attempt.”

“He’s excited.”

“He is being rude.”

“Do you two have to argue all the time?” Neville wondered. Draco and Fay really had turned into siblings; they seemed to enjoy practicing the art of sibling arguments. 

The blond and young Werewolf looked at the Longbottom heir, answering as one, “Yes.” This answer caused Neville, and a few others to sigh and roll their eyes before turning their attention elsewhere. 

“Sorry, Hermione,” Harry whispered while his friends continued to talk amongst themselves while eating. “I’m just anxious to see if Sirius managed to do it.”

“I know,” she gripped his hand and squeezed his fingers. “But it would still be nice for my boyfriend to answer me when I ask him a question.”

Harry pulled his hand from hers so he could wrap his arm around her shoulder. He pulled her into his side and kissed her temple, “Sorry, I guess I still kind of fail at this boyfriend thing.”

Hermione laid her head on his shoulder, “No, you don’t fail at it, you just get easily distracted. I’m used to it and it helps that I generally always know what is distracting you.”

“When did my life get so complicated?”

“December 31st, 1926,” Hermione answered instantly. “The day Tom was born,” she added seeing confused looks around the table.

“Well, that’s depressing.”

“I’m kidding, but your complications do revolve around him.” Hermione kissed his cheek, “Now, go talk to Sirius,” she nodded to the door where Sirius was standing looking around the hall.

Harry jumped to his feet and walked quickly toward the door and his godfather. “Hey, Padfoot, did you manage it?”

Sirius smiled and pulled Harry into a hug. “Yup, Cissy is out in the hall with him; he needed a minute to rest. Where are they sitting?”

Harry rolled his eyes; he had hoped that Sirius would be able to recognize Victor at the very least. The hall had been rearranged again so Sirius had to scan the round tables set toward the walls of the hall leaving a small open area in the middle. Harry gestured toward the Slytherin side of the hall, about half way down the wall, “Victor and Mikhail are over there.”

“Thanks, Prongslet.”

“You do know that name doesn’t really work with my form, don’t you?”

“I don’t have to change it until you manage a complete transformation and you still can’t manage the beak or the wings,” Sirius said childishly. “Half the time the name is inspired by the first thought when you are transformed.”

“Your first thought when you looked at my dad transformed was Prongs?”

“No, your dads actually took some thinking. HIS tail looked like a worm, so Wormtail.”

“I really hope that doesn’t mean my name will end up being Beaky or something like that.”

“Nope, I care more for you than I ever did for him. Your name will require a great deal of thought and argument if things go as I expect.”

“As adorable as this conversation is,” Narcissa said in a sarcastic tone behind them, “I think it is time to present our surprise.”

Harry and Sirius turned to see Dmitri leaning against the wall for support. The loss of his magic had affected him greatly. He was essentially a squib now so he could still see all things magic but he could not participate any longer. He had not gone home yet because it was taking so long for him to regain his strength. The other reason he remained in Britain was because of his parents; they were not handling his situation well and hovered constantly. His mother cried a lot and wanted him to rest at all times while his father was liable to fly into a rage when Dmitri struggled to walk the hallways on his own. They had to return home so his father could return to work so Dmitri convinced the healers to forbid traveling long distances. It didn’t take much convincing as they were thinking of doing that anyway. As a result, Dmitri Markov was staying at Grimmauld Place and had regular appointments at St. Mungo’s.

Sirius smiled and walked to the young man, offering his shoulder. Dmitri slung his arm around the Head of the Black family gratefully. “Thank you for bringing me to see my brother.”

Harry smiled and answered for Sirius, “Family is everything. We would do anything to keep a loving family together.”

Narcissa kissed the top of Harry’s head, “Well said.” She turned her attention to Dmitri and Sirius, “I will distract the students while you make your way to Mikhail.”

“How are you going to do that?” Sirius wondered.

“You’ll see,” she said with a mischievous smile before heading into the hall.

“I think I’m scared, Prongslet.”

“Why? She is probably just going to kiss Professor Snape.”

Sirius shuddered, “That is utterly terrifying, Harry.”

“Why is her kissing her suiter terrifying?” Dmitri wondered.

“Sirius has issues with Severus. They are trying to get along but they spent a great deal of time tormenting each other in school so sometimes things that shouldn’t matter, matter. I think Professor Snape is handling it better than Sirius despite their agreement to put the past behind them.” 

Harry glanced into the hall, ignoring Sirius’s scowl and Dmitri’s confusion, many students were watching Narcissa walk through the space left empty for conversation and dancing toward the Head table. “I think it is time to start walking.”

They slowly made their way along the line of tables, Harry signaled to his schoolmates to keep quiet as they passed. Dmitri was breathing heavily by the time they were halfway there, it didn’t matter, all student eyes were on Professor Snape, who was being kissed by Narcissa at the Head table. Harry had to fight not to laugh at some of the faces. Younger students, and students who were not fans of the Slytherin Head of House looked disgusted. Some of the girls looked on with hearts in their eyes while the older male Slytherins looked on with pride of some kind. A quick glance toward his friends, showed Draco burying his head in his arms, which were laying on the table; Draco did not like watching his mother kiss his godfather.

“Excuse me, Mister Markov,” Sirius said as seriously as he could, “I was instructed to bring you a gift.”

Mikhail, Victor and Aleksander turned in their seats and froze as one. The three Durmstrang boys were shocked to find Dmitri leaning against Sirius Black at Hogwarts. Mikhail sprang to his feet and rushed to his brother only to stop short before slowly closing the distance and carefully wrapping his arms around his older brother. 

“It is good to see you up and around, Brother,” Mikhail murmured into his brother’s shoulder. 

“I missed you, Mik, but I would really love to sit down. Having my magic and nearly all my energy drained has taken its toll. I tire so easily but did not want to miss the chance of seeing you and the school.”

Harry watched with a brilliant smile as the brothers sat close, speaking quickly in Bulgarian. 

“Did you arrange this, Harry?”

Harry turned his attention to Victor and nodded. “Yeah. I have been keeping up with Dmitri’s progress and knew he was out of the hospital. He has been making longer trips every day so I asked Sirius if he could check in with the healers about letting Dmitri visit his brother.” Harry shrugged, “I remembered Sirius saying that it seemed like Dmitri had more energy and did better whenever Mikhail visited so I thought this would be good for them.”

Victor nodded, “It is very good for both Dmitri and Mikhail. I will thank you for them and for myself. Dmitri is my friend too and it does me good to see him improving. I felt a great deal of guilt about the fact that he went missing while at one of my games.”

“The fault lies with those who kidnapped him,” Sirius whispered. “You bear no blame.”

“That is true logically but there is rarely logic when it comes to emotions, Lord Black.”

Sirius nodded gravely, “You are correct, Mister Krum. If there is anyone who understands emotion ruling logic it is me.”

“Sirius…” Harry said with a bit of worry, seeing the tortured look begin to make its way into his godfather’s eyes. “Everything worked out. Stop blaming yourself for his actions.”

Sirius ruffled Harry’s eternally messy hair, “Sorry, Feather Brain.” He chuckled at Harry’s glare. “Just trying some things out. Now, go ask your girlfriend to dance.”

“My name is not going to be Feather Brain.”

“I know, Hermione would kill me if I tried to make it that.”

Harry smiled, “I love having a girlfriend who will defend me against my family.” Harry smirked, “When are you going to start dating again, Padfoot?”

Sirius shoved Harry’s head playfully, “Go have fun with your girlfriend. I am here to make sure Dmitri is okay. My mental health improvement can wait for now.”

**The Wolf Den - Hogsmeade**

The room was a mess. Aria kept a clean house but the living room had been overrun by materials she needed to plan her wedding. Samples, pictures, lists, and books were strewn across every available surface in the room, some even stacked on the floor. Photos of flower samples and designs were spelled to the open spaces on the walls and catering menus lined the dining room table just past the open doorway. 

“Thank you for coming to help me out, Narcissa,” Aria smiled as she set the tea tray down on the coffee table. “I never expected my wedding to turn into an international affair.”

“You are marrying the Alpha for the only recognized British pack. Remus now runs in important international circles. The British Ministry may not be ready to recognize the packs as actual citizens, despite my attempts, but other nations do. The Bulgarian and Italian pack leaders are highly placed within their own governments while the French, German and Spanish packs are friendly with their ministers. You need to invite the other pack leaders because of the alliance so you need to plan an appropriately spectacular wedding to show your power. I am happy to help because you are my friend and because I enjoy doing this sort of thing.” Narcissa smiled, “I haven’t had the chance to plan a wedding with someone I actually like since…” she trailed off, “I don’t think I have ever planned a wedding with someone I like. I didn’t even enjoy planning my own wedding because of my mother and Lucius’s mother. They fought the entire time and I ended up with a wedding that spoke more about them then it did about me.”

“That sounds awful.” Aria smiled sadly. She had been waiting for this. Aria had seen photos from the older woman’s wedding to Malfoy and hadn’t seen the woman she knew in any of it. Narcissa was the epitome of elegance and that wedding was anything but elegant. It was opulent and reeked of arrogance. The flowers were cold, expensive and did not match the lighting or the table cloths at the reception. It was as if whoever planned the wedding just picked the most expensive options without looking at the pictures. The wedding didn’t clash or anything, it just didn’t look perfect or classy. 

Narcissa nodded, “I stopped giving my opinion after the third appointment. I didn’t even get to pick my dress robes.”

Aria knew she needed to get her off her mental visit to her unhappy past, “Well, here is your chance for revenge.”

The older woman blinked in surprise before smiling. “Of course, I plan to force opulently extravagant designs on you that clash with your personality and make you look like you grew up in the lap of luxury; money, power and no emotion at all.”

“Perfect,” Aria fought to keep a straight face, “while you plan that wedding, I will sit here telling you it is perfect while I secretly hate everything about it.”

“Fantastic, every bride deserves to experience one horrible wedding in her life, especially when we live in a society that doesn’t like divorce.”

“Only a lady of House Black can come out of one unscathed.”

“Well, lucky me then.” Aria snorted while Narcissa fought the smile tugging at her lips. “Your wedding will need to be more extravagant than you want. I can’t do the simple country wedding you wanted with the guest list.”

“I know, but can we try to make it feel like a simple country wedding? I don’t want solid gold cutlery or diamond encrusted place settings.”

“You’re all Werewolves, Aria. I think the wedding needs to be more nature inclined to really make an impression.” Narcissa stood and moved to the photos spelled to the walls, she flicked her wand and one of the large photos flew into her hands. “I was thinking of something like this for the actual ceremony.” 

For the next few hours Narcissa showed Aria her ideas for the wedding. Narcissa had planned two or three options for each area; each time she would save the best for last. The older woman would say something about this being the one she thought Aria would like best but wanted to give her options so saved that plan for last. In each case, Aria chose the last. The only thing they hadn’t picked that afternoon were the robes.

“You are a genius Narcissa Black.” Aria sat back sipping her glass of wine. “I didn’t think it was possible for this wedding to feel simple and effortless while still looking important but it does. I thought the dignitaries would steal the wedding of my dreams but you proved me wrong. How did you know exactly what I wanted when I didn’t even know what I wanted?”

“Our friendship is new, Aria, but it is one that will last. Our friendship grew because of that sweet Werewolf you love and the children we all want to protect. I have discovered that you learn about someone when you get to know them the way we have. The stress of Harry’s life has made us stronger friends than even the ones I lived with at Hogwarts. I knew what you wanted because I know who you are. I see what you wear and how you decorate daily and that tells me what sort of things appeal to you. It is only a slight push for me to find the perfect thing for your perfect wedding.” She took a sip of her own wine and smiled, “I can’t give you the small wedding you want but I can give you the simple, country elegance you desire.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now we just have to find you a dress and we lucked out with the international guests; you don’t have to wear traditional British dress robes at your wedding because the fashions on the continent are much more modern and we can claim you were honoring your guests by wearing their fashions instead of ours.”

“Thank the goddess,” Aria nearly laughed. She and Narcissa shared a loathing of British traditional society clothing. Everything was so ancient compared to the rest of the world. “Does that mean we are shopping in muggle London or are we going to the continent?”

“I thought we would try muggle London first as I thought you might like to bring Fay and Hermione along.”

Aria grinned, “I really do want them to be there. I love those girls so much and I am so happy they agreed to be a part of the ceremony.”

“Nothing would keep them from being a part of your wedding to Remus. They love you like I do. I am honored to stand with you.”

“There is no one else I would want to stand with me. You are all my family now and you are the first people in my life since my change that have truly accepted me.” She hugged the older woman. “Now, what is going on with you and Severus? I saw that man smile the other day and I thought I had died. I didn’t think he knew how to smile.”

Narcissa rolled her eyes. Severus didn’t smile often but he did smile. She was well aware that she was one of the few to ever get to see the smiles he hid from the world. “He says he loves me and has for years.”

“Yes, we are all aware of that. I want details.”

“A lady does not kiss and tell.”

“Bugger that, I want details. If you tell me, I’ll tell you.”

“I don’t want details of your sex life.”

Aria gave her a satisfied smirk, “So you are having sex.” 

“Aria!”

The redhead laughed for a second. “I’m sorry, I’ll stop. But, do you love him the way he loves you? Does he make you as happy as you look?”

“Yes, and yes. The only thing that has ever made me happier is my son.”

“He looks so different when you are around. Severus is always hard and stoic, but when you are there, he has a softness to his being that is incredible. The students kept glancing at him during that Valentines celebration last night; it was as if they had never seen him before.”

“It’s not that he is any different, he is just secure enough to show it when I am around. He is no longer afraid someone will kill him for feeling the way he does.” Narcissa glanced out the window, “the Slytherin lifestyle is a hard one for a lot of reasons and the more you fall into it the harder it is to allow yourself to show who you really are. Defensively, we only show our shields because to do any differently is to open yourself to attack. My family name saved me from a lot of that by teaching me to never show emotions even with family but Severus came into this from a different life. He had shields for a different reason and thought that he could drop them around his peers. Our Slytherin dynamic quickly showed him that it was personal suicide to ever show anything real at school.”

“That is changing though, isn’t it?” Aria wondered. “Draco and his Slytherin friends aren’t stoic and cold all the time,” she paused, “well the Greengrass girl is but the rest of them smile and laugh all the time now, don’t they?”

“It is changing,” Narcissa agreed. “It is changing because Severus doesn’t want his students to grow up the way he did. He can’t change what is taught at home but he can show them that society doesn’t expect them to pretend that they are unbreakable. Some will find it hard to allow themselves to show their emotions, like Miss Greengrass, but others will be happier for it like Greggory and Theo.” Narcissa sighed in contentment. “I am so proud of Severus for changing things for the students.”

“I didn’t go to Hogwarts before I was turned because my parents didn’t like the way the school was run; the house system seemed to be too detrimental to proper study habits. I agreed then and until a few years ago I still agreed. Now I think Hogwarts really is the greatest wizarding school in the world and I am not afraid to send the children I hope to have there.” She gave Narcissa a disgruntled smile, “I just have to convince Remus that having children won’t automatically mean they are like us and even if they are it isn’t the end of the world.”

**Hogwarts Grounds**

Harry sighed as he stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. This tournament was going to be the death of him. The third task of the Triwizard Tournament didn’t sound particularly hard when it was laid out but with his luck, this one would turn out to be the most dangerous so far. 

Bagman had just finished his description of the task, which would take place in the Forbidden Forest. Harry didn’t have great luck in that forest; meeting Voldemort, giant spiders, werewolves and Dementors. Yeah, this was going to turn out bad.

There were four trails cut through the dense forest, one for each champion. This trail would have various obstacles, the most daunting, for Harry at least, were the trivia questions. There would be thirteen small clearings where they would have to answer a question – if they got it right the traps would be turned off for the next trail. If, however, they could not answer the question completely correctly they would have to face all the magic traps the task designers applied. Bagman explained they would all compete at once and they would start out on separate paths for the first five questions; the paths would join on the sixth so they may or may not see each other after that point. There were no rules saying you could not help your opponent while traveling between questions but if you arrived in the clearing while someone else was there a bubble would appear around each of you so you could not hear the other contestant’s answers or help them come up with an answer. 

The scoring for this event would be slightly different than the previous two competitions. There would be two sections; the first would be for how they traversed the paths. Each judge could award up to four points for how well they dealt with the obstacles between clearings, meaning the contestants could get a total of twenty points for this portion of the task. The other thirty points would go toward the questions. Each of the first twelve questions would be worth 2 points and the last, and most challenging would be worth five points for a total of twenty-nine points. If questions were answered correctly, they got 2 points. They could be awarded partial credit in the event they got a portion of the question correct. One point would be awarded to the person who finished first, the others would not be eligible for this point. There would be a total of fifty possible points, the same with the last two tasks.

“You alright there, Harry?”

The Fourth year turned to look at his fellow Hogwarts student. Cedric had been checking in on him regularly during the tournament and he really appreciated it. “Yeah,” Harry sighed again. “I just hope no one gets bored waiting for me to finish this thing. I seriously doubt they have any questions below seventh year for this thing and I haven’t even finished my fourth year.”

“You’ll do great, Harry. You keep surprising everyone; I doubt this will be any different.”

“Cedric, I am beginning to believe people when they say I am a strong student magically but I kind of struggle with the theory and facts portions. I’m working on it, how could I not with Hermione as my girlfriend, but that doesn’t mean I can compete with a fifth year, let alone you guys.”

“You will be fine, Harry Potter.” 

Harry turned to his other side, surprised to have heard his female competitor’s voice. Things had changed after the first task but she had mostly kept a wide berth. He smiled slightly, “I can only try, right?”

“We do not know what sort of questions will be asked. Some of them may ask us to demonstrate difficult spells; if they do, you will have just as good a chance as the rest of us.”

“All right, ladies and gentlemen. Sorry for the wait, our technical issues have been resolved and we are about to begin. Champions to your starting marks. The third task of the Triwizard tournament will begin when the cannon sounds.”

…

Harry Potter was frustrated. 

Things had not been going well for him. After five questions, he had yet to answer one correct so he had been forced to face each and every connecting path with all the traps active. The first three paths hadn’t really been that challenging, vines that tried to hold him, quick sand traps that reminded him of the Weasley twins, fog, etc. After that they got harder but had still been manageable. He was just getting scared for what lay ahead. How much more difficult would the traps get?

The questions had been well above his knowledge. The first had been an obscure history question about a wizard he had never heard of. The second was about some Peruvian plant he was sure Neville had somewhere, but again he had no idea what it was, let alone how to correctly remove the pods. The Arithmancy question was complicated but he had tried but after the second step in the calculation it was beyond his knowledge and skill. Question four was a potions question. They wanted to know the antidote for some poison so Harry had suggested a Bezoar but apparently that was one of the few poisons the stone could not cure. The fifth question was a Runic array featuring runes he was not scheduled to study until sixth year so he hadn’t even attempted to figure it out; it would have been impossible as he only knew one Rune in the entire array.

He stepped into the sixth clearing, the first one every contestant stepped into, and was surprised to see Firenze. Harry had not seen the Centaur since the Unicorn incident but he would always be able to recognize him. “Hello, Firenze, how are you this cold afternoon?”

The Centaurs eyebrows raised in surprise at hearing the boy call him by name. Wizards did not usually remember the names of those they considered beasts. “I am well, Harry Potter. I am here to present the contestants with their sixth question and to ensure certain beasts stay away from the competition.”

“Thank you for your assistance, Firenze.” Harry made his way closer to the Centaur, “Am I the last one?”

“You are, Harry Potter, though you are not as behind as you might think. Mister Krum has had some troubles answering some of the questions and is not that far ahead of you at this time.”

“Good to know. So, what is the next question?”

The Centaur took a breath and his voice took on an authoritative essence. “There is a creature that is described with the words, “Spiders flee before it.” What is the creature?”

Harry blinked a few times, “That’s it?”

“It was enough information for one of your opponents, Harry Potter.”

The fourteen-year-old shook his head, “That isn’t what I meant. I was just surprised that I knew the answer without thinking about it. The answer is a Basilisk.”

The Centaur nodded with a smile, “You are correct. The traps have been deactivated for path between this clearing and the next.” 

“Thank you again, Firenze.” He started to move toward the clearing’s exit but paused, “is Cedric the one who answered correctly?”

“He is indeed, Harry Potter.” Firenze opened his mouth but closed it again. After taking a breath, he spoke. “A word of warning. The stars warn of darkness. Two beings of death will walk this earth before the summer solstice. If they are not stopped the magical world will be thrown into darkness for years to come.”

Harry looked at his feet and nodded. “Do the stars also say that I am going to be right in the middle of it all?”

“The stars say many things, Harry Potter. I cannot say which option is most likely at this point.”

“Yeah, that seems to be the general consensus. Take care of yourself.”

“And you, Harry Potter.” Harry ran off down the path, “Take care of yourself so that those of us who can’t have a chance.”

…

Cedric skidded into the ninth clearing only to see long blond hair disappear down the exit path for the third time in a row. “Bloody hell.” He shook his head, “At least she isn’t getting any farther ahead of me.”

He had done extremely well so far. Cedric had only gotten the first question wrong, for which he blamed Binns. The ghost was a horribly boring teacher who rarely spoke of anything outside of Magical Britain. Cedric had known who the wizard was but he had not known the answer to the question about the man. After that he had gotten everything right and it certainly helped. The obstacles took time to get around and he wanted to come out on top of this event. Unfortunately, Fleur Delacour always seemed to be moments ahead of him. He wondered idly if she had gotten any questions wrong.

…

Fleur smiled to herself. She was in her element with this task.

She had underestimated the challenge of maneuvering around a dragon in the first task and hadn’t done as well as she had hoped. The second task has scared her senseless. She was a Vela. Vela were creatures of fire and air. Fire did not mix well with water. Fleur was not disappointed with her performance in that event because of her fear of the water and her inability to tap into her Vela magic while in the cold lake water. 

But this, this test of knowledge, was right up her alley. The questions had been child’s play for the most part. She hadn’t had to think hard for any of the first questions; which was why she had gotten the sixth question wrong. Fleur had been overly confident and hadn’t taken a second to consider the entire question, so she had answered with the wrong breed of snake. She was kicking herself over it now. When the Centaur had told her she was incorrect, she had been furious with the creature, assuming he was trying to make her fail but she had started down the path anyway. It was after the eighth question that she realized her mistake. While spiders would certainly avoid and flee Ashwinders, first off because they were snakes and secondly because they lived in fire, that was not part of the animal’s description in any text. That wording was, however, used to describe the mighty Basilisk. 

Well, at least that was one question Harry Potter would be able to answer.

Fleur answered the twelfth question and looked over her shoulder to see the Diggory boy just coming to the mouth of the previous path. She was still in the lead and she was still just as far ahead of the boy as she was after the last question. 

She smiled at him and gave a little wave before sprinting down the path before her. She was going to win this one.

…

Victor Krum was frustrated. He was not doing all that well in this task. 

The traps were not a problem for him, he dealt well with that sort of thing as it required reflexes and knowledge of dark creatures or hostile vegetation. It was the questions that were frustrating for him. 

He was not a bad student; he just has some subjects that he struggled with and some he wasn’t even taking because of how hard they were for him. He was also not great at trivia.

He was walking into the twelfth clearing and he had only answered seven questions correctly. He had not known the answer to the arithmancy question because he had stopped taking it after half a year. His answer to the Runes question had been wrong somehow, though he still wasn’t entirely sure how. The first potions question he had gotten correct, the second he had not. He was infuriated that he had gotten the one creature question wrong, magical creatures were kind of his favorite. Thank goodness for questions on spell choice. Victor was all about action and almost always knew what spell was needed for any problem. 

Looking down he quickly read the second to last question and almost did a little dance; he knew the answer! He liked magical creature questions again.

Shaking his head and taking a breath, he started toward the next path. Just before the trees swallowed him up, he looked back and saw a head of messy black hair jog into the clearing. 

At least Harry was okay.

…

Harry sighed as he stumbled into the final clearing. He was extremely tired of running. Harry had only gotten two questions right, both about magical creatures, thank you Remus, and Hermione. He was also lucky that the second creature question was about Griffins, which he studied extensively for his Animagus transformation. He knew he would get last place but at least the task was not judged on the amount of time it took him to complete it and honestly considering he thought he saw Victor a moment ago, he wasn’t as far behind as he feared he would be.

He trudged to the table to read the final question. The fourteen-year-old nearly started laughing hysterically when he read the request which just so happened to require casting a spell; a spell he knew he could cast.

_Cast a corporeal Patronus. Your Patronus must have an animal form to turn off the traps for the path leading to the finish._

Harry casually flicked his wand, casting the spell and smiled as his fox sprang forward. She circled him, her silver tail brushing against him. It wasn’t a solid tail but where it touched, he felt warmth. 

“Lead the way, love.” The ethereal representation of his girlfriend spun and raced down the final path and Harry followed with no fear of facing any traps. 

Somehow, Harry ran faster than he had throughout the task. Perhaps it was because he knew it was almost over. It could be because he could hear the crowd just up ahead. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that he could now clearly see Victor sprinting away from a midsized Acromantula that was currently on its back twitching. In reality, it was entirely due to the fact that his fox Patronus was giving him strength.

His Fox and Victor crossed the finish line at the same time. Harry crossed a moment later smiling.

“Bloody Hell, Harry. You can cast a fully corporeal Patronus?” Victor wheezed, “I can only manage a shield.”

Harry grinned. “I can ask Remus to help you out if you want. Or I can give you some pointers.”

“I want in on that, Harry,” Cedric said as he came up to his opponents and slung an arm around the younger contestant. “Share your wisdom with me, Mister Potter.”

“It pains me to admit I am also incapable of casting a Patronus. All I have ever managed is smoke,” Fleur grimaced. 

“CONGRATULATIONS CONTESTANTS!” Bagman shouted. “Weren’t they great?”

The watching students and guests cheered loudly for the contestants, some even started chanting the name of the person they were routing for.

“All contestants please come to the stage please.” The judges were waiting on a stage in the middle of the stands and there were four raised blocks for the contestants to stand on facing them.

The four competitors lined up in order of completion, Fleur taking the first block, Harry the last. “We will award points in order of completion.” Bagman smiled, “Miss Delacour answered eleven of the first twelve questions correctly and was incorrect on the sixth question meaning she will receive 22 points. Additionally, she was able to produce smoke when attempting a Patronus so she will receive one point for that question.” He turned to the judges, “Please present your score for Miss Delacour’s performance while facing the traps.” Bagman, Crouch, Maxime and Dumbledore each held up a 4, full points for the witch, while Karkaroff presented her with a three. “May I ask why you have only scored a three mister Karkaroff,” Bagman wondered.

“Miss Delacour only faced two paths with traps so does not deserve full credit when compared to those who faced more and harder traps throughout the task.”

“Fair enough, Headmaster Karkaroff. Miss Delacour receives 19 of 20 for this portion of the task. Finally, Miss Delacour finished first so will be awarded one point for her win bringing her to a total of 43 points. Well done, Miss Delacour.”

He turned his attention to Cedric, “Mister Diggory also answered eleven of the first twelve questions correctly so he will also be awarded 22 points. He did not answer the first question at all so will not get any additional points for that question. He too produced smoke for the final question and will also receive one point for his Patronus attempt.” He turned to the judges, “His score for the traps please.” This was a repeat of Fleur’s scores. Karkaroff was the only one who did not award a 4; again, presenting a 3. 

“Mister Diggory will also receive 19 points for facing the traps. In total, he will receive 42 points for this task.

“Mister Krum answered eight of the first twelve correctly so will receive 16 points. His work on the Runic array was partially correct, he switched two symbols, so will be awarded one point for that question but will receive no additional points for the other unanswered or incorrect answers. Mister Krum was able to produce a solid shield Patronus and will be awarded three points for the thirteenth question.” 

Bagman raised his wand, “His scores for the second half?” This time all judges rewarded him with four points. “Mister Krum will receive full points for facing the traps. In total, Victor Krum will receive 40 points for the third task.

“Finally, Harry Potter. Mister Potter answered two of the first twelve questions correctly, meaning he will receive four points. His answer of a bezoar for the first potions question will award him one additional point as a bezoar is an ingredient in the antidote for the poison. He will also receive a point for his work on the arithmancy question as the work he did is required to find the answer to the question. The other questions he did not attempt to answer, most likely as they were all seventh-year questions. In a shocking twist, Mister Potter produced a fully corporeal animal Patronus, that is still hanging around,” Bagman waved at the fox that was sitting at Harry’s feet. “Because of this, Mister Potter will receive the full five points for the thirteenth question.” 

He turned a final time to address the other judges, “His scores please?” Harry’s scores were a repeat of the scores presented to Fleur and Cedric; Bagman, Crouch, Maxime and Dumbledore each held up a 4, full points, while Karkaroff presented her with a three. Bagman sighed, “It seems Karkaroff had a problem with Mister Potters performance as well, I wonder what it was?”

“He did not use the best spell available to pass certain traps so does not deserve full points.”

“Does the fact that he has not been taught those methods mean anything to you, Karkaroff?” Bagman wondered, “The spells he did not use are taught in sixth and seventh year and he is currently in his fourth.” He shook his head before the angry Durmstrang Headmaster could reply, “Very well, Mister Potter will be awarded 19 or 20 for his performance against the traps. This brings mister Potter to a total of 30 points for the third task.

“The final tally after three tasks puts Mister Krum in first with 124 points. Mister Diggory is in second with 122 points. Harry Potter will drop to third with 110 points and Miss Delacour will remain in fourth but will only trail Mister Potter by one point, meaning she has 109 points.

"The next task will be held in one month, on the third Saturday of the month. More information will be presented to the contestants in the coming weeks." Bagman smiled at the gathered crowd, "Thank you for coming and I hope you all enjoyed the show!"


	32. Meetings of Good, Meetings of Evil

**A Dilapidated Manor House**

“Barty,” a shriveled, skeletal being the size of an infant or small toddler wheezed from his chair in a dusty room. “Attend me.”

“I am here, my Lord.” The man who dropped to his knees was in his thirties but looked older due to years of being held under an unforgivable curse. “What can I do to please you, my Lord.”

The creature known as Voldemort, though he looked nothing like the man who once nearly had wizarding Britain at its knees, found his overzealous servant amusing. Voldemort knew the younger man was insane, he hadn’t been all that sane before Bartemius Crouch Senior held him under the Imperius curse for years, but Barty Senior pushed his son’s mind into utter madness over the last decade. “I need my potions and my meal, but before that I need to know what is happening with the Potter brat and the tournament.”

“Of course, Master.” Barty bowed before turning to the man attempting to hide in the corner of the room. “Get Master’s potions, Yaxley. Don’t doddle or I’ll feed you to Nagini.” The bowing man lifted his head, adoration in his eyes, “Things are going as well as could be expected under the circumstances, my Lord. Potter is currently in third place, only a point above the French creature. The Durmstrang Seeker and the Hogwarts pureblood are in first and second respectively. I, of course, followed your instructions and have been very weary of Severus Snape. With how close he is to the boy I am unable to truly affect events, nor can I influence how he attempts the tasks as it would be highly suspicious if ‘Bartemius Crouch,’ a man incapable of breaking rules in society’s eyes were to cheat for the boy.”

“Your father’s position has been weakened due to the Bones woman, but you are correct that would be too suspicious. Will his current place in the tournament affect him later on in any way?”

“It will my lord. The last task has all contestants competing at once but their start time will depend on their ranking achieved in the previous six tasks. The individual in first will start five minutes before the one in second and he will start three minutes before the person in third, the last individual in last will start a minute later. The person in first will have the greatest opportunity of winning the tournament because of the additional time they are given in the final task.”

“You know the plan, Barty. I need Potter alive and in my hands on the proper day. You will need to ensure he gets there without drawing attention to yourself. Find a way to increase his standings.” The shriveled creature took a shaky breath, “What of Karkaroff?”

“It is unclear where his loyalties lie, my Lord. His actions are suspicious to the judges as he shows obvious bias toward his champion despite the promise of impartiality. Additionally, he is constantly suspicious of every person and noise around him; this causes others to watch him more closely. In all honesty, his jumpy behavior is helping to deflect attention.”

Voldemort chuckled, “Then we will leave him for now. If at some point it is apparent he has no intention of returning to me then I give you leave to do with him as you please.”

“Thank you, my Lord.” There was immense pleasure in his voice and manner as he thanked his master. Igor Karkaroff was the reason his life had crumbled. It was due to the blasted foreigner that his involvement was discovered and, as a result, spent more than eight years at his father’s mercy without an ounce of free will. “What shall I do with him if he pledges himself to you once more?”

“I think we shall make him suffer for turning in my faithful.”

“It will be a pleasure to see you dole out the proper punishment, my Lord.”

Voldemort chuckled as well as his emaciated, temporary body allowed him. “Yes, it will be good to show my displeasure to those who did not remain faithful to me. All my followers should have known that no mere child could kill me. It should have been obvious to all that I would return it time.” He paused for a moment, examining his wand and the hand that held it, “Now, I need you to plan carefully. You know the plan and there can be no deviation. Having Potter at my mercy at the proper time is imperative.” Voldemort paused and examined his minion, “I need you to control your emotions, my dear Barty. We cannot tip our hands too soon. If you do need to ‘help’ the boy along it can’t be too obvious.”

Barty nodded emphatically, “I will continue to meditate to calm the rage inside. Keeping my father as he kept me is helping but I still hold such rage over those who have betrayed you. I cannot understand how Severus, and Tiberius could stand against you as they do. Lucius’s actions are confusing but less so because I remember his arrogance.” 

It was not lost on the Dark Lord that, had the situation ended differently, Barty would have probably been just like dear Lucius. “All who betrayed me will learn their lesson in time. The most important thing is to focus on the boy. Once the boy is dealt with, we will move on to the next stage of my plans.”

Barty’s eyes glittered in anticipation, “How can I help with those future plans, my Lord? Who will be our first target? Are we going after the damned headmaster? Or is it the meddling Blacks first? Nott and the ministry will need to be dealt with as well. What can I…”?

“You help me most by ensuring things go according to plan with the boy.” Voldemort cut the younger man off. He did not need his minions to know any more than they already did. The only one who needed to know the entirety of his plan was himself. “If we do not get the boy then we cannot move on to our next target. The boy may not be a threat now but if left in Albus’s care he will become a thorn in my side so I need him brought to me as I have instructed. Timing is everything in this Barty and you have promised me that you can bring me what I wish when I needed it. You can still do that for me can’t you Barty?” As annoying as it was, repeating himself multiple times in the same conversation was the only way to get Barty to remember anything of importance.

Barty opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by the door to the room opening and Yaxley’s entrance. “I have brought your food and potions, my Lord.” Yaxley actively avoided the misshapen infants’ gaze. “Nagini was finishing up her own meal as I passed her. She is aware that you have need of her, at least that is the impression I got while informing her of your current status.”

“Very good, Yaxley.” Voldemort nodded and looked passed the man to the open doorway in search of his dear Nagini. _“How was your meal, my Sweet,”_ Voldemort hissed in the snake language upon seeing her.

_“Not nearly filling enough, bother. Cats are better than mice but I wish I could feast on something much bigger. I crave the flesh of your enemies. Can we not find another muggle?”_

_“I know, Dearest Nagini, but we cannot risk any more reports of missing people at this time, even if they are muggles. When I have returned to my body and full power you can have your fill of my enemies and anyone else you please.”_

_“I would have liked to eat the fat one that turns into a rat, he always looked so tasty.”_

_“Last we heard he was rotting with my Dementors; if pathetic Wormtail survives his imprisonment we shall have to break him out so you can feast on him.”_

_“Thank you, brother.”_

Voldemort smirked at the look of fear overwhelming Yaxley’s face. The man really was pathetic. The Dark Lord did not really trust the man at the current time. There was too much fear in the man; that much fear often led to betrayal. Were he a full man he could keep the fear in check but in his weakened state there was little he could do.

“Come, Yaxley.” The man shuddered slightly and knelt before Voldemort. “You know what to do.”

Yaxley nodded and tried to keep the revulsion off his face while he fed the shriveled, emaciated form. “I hope everything is to your liking, my Lord.” 

He felt the cold seep into him when the undead man smirked at his discomfort. If he could, he would kill the unnatural creature but he was all too aware that killing the host body would only be a temporary solution and with Crouch around that reprieve would be all but nonexistent. When he escaped from this hell, he was going to kill Nott. 

In time, but not nearly quick enough, Voldemort was finished with his meal and potions and Yaxley was free to leave the dreary ‘throne’ room. 

He found Barty in the kitchen restocking the potions cabinet. It was fortunate, for Voldemort at least, that Barty had control over his father. No one was asking why Bartemius Crouch needed access to a great many rare ingredients so the shade of Voldemort was able to keep his host body until the ritual which was necessary for the particular ritual he had chosen. The ritual did not require much but it did require the sacrifice of the current body to remake the body of choice, or something along those lines. Yaxley was disgusted by the details he did know about the ritual and wondered where the Dark Lord found it. He could think of only a handful of families that would know of such a thing; of course, all he could think of had been allied with the man so it was entirely possible they had given him access to their family libraries at one point. 

“I am going to kill you when you are no longer needed,” Barty grinned menacingly.

“Why would you do that, Bartemius? Our Lord doesn’t have many followers who are free at this point so I think every follower he does have would be highly important.” Yaxley looked down on the insane man, “If we want to bring the Dark Lord to power, we all need to work together. If you look at it logically, you are the biggest threat to his strategy as you continue to threaten everyone who comes near him.”

“I only threaten those who are not loyal or who are unworthy.”

Yaxley laughed humorlessly, “In your opinion you are the only one who is worthy. How is that going to help him regain and keep power, Barty?”

Barty snarled and started for the door, “Mark my words, Yaxley. I will kill you before this is over.”

“Good luck with that, Crouch,” Yaxley said under his breath while walking out of the room. “Good luck with that.”

**Room of Requirement**

The Room of Requirement, or Come and Go Room, had seen a lot of activity since it was introduced to Harry and his group of friends. It was where they met to work on tasks and to practice magic. It was where they went when they needed a place away from the school to talk and relax. Once they showed the possibilities to Severus and Remus, it became their go to place for Patronus, Dueling and Animagus training. 

With the Triwizard tournament going on, they spent less time there than they used to but they did spend at least a few hours a week in the room, even if it was just to work on homework together.

Weekend nights or mornings, generally Sundays due to the tournament, were dedicated to working on the Animagus transformation.

“I don’t remember us having this much trouble with the Animagus transformation.”

“Sirius,” Remus sighed, “It took you nearly two years to complete a full transformation. The kids have only been working on this since the summer. You were in fifth year when you completed your transformations, Fred and George are older but I suspect one or both of them will finish the transformation before the summer which will mean it took them half as much time as it did for you.”

“But I want results for them. It seems like they aren’t getting it. I thought Hermione was doing really well but she has had no progress for weeks and Draco is the same way. Both of them seemed to take to it naturally but now nothing. Harry and Neville have had so little progress that I wonder if they will ever manage the transformation.” Sirius ruffled his hair. “Why aren’t Fred and George progressing at the same rate?”

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose. “I suppose I will start with the twins. As Harry has been saying all along, Fred and George are not the same person, despite their attempts to prove otherwise. If watching them didn’t show you that, their forms should have. They are as different as you and me on the inside. Fred is the idea man, like you, while George takes care of the how, much like I do. They process data at different paces and in different ways.”

Sirius nodded and waved his hand for Remus to continue.

“Now Hermione and Draco are a lot like James in that they understand magic. Draco grew up around magic and was always comfortable with it while Hermione has engrossed herself in the theory of magic since joining the magical world, so much so that it is like she grew up around it. Their understanding is conceptual in this instance and they progressed as they did because they understood the process. They are now at a point where it takes a leap of faith and they haven’t figured that out yet; at least that is how James described it to me when I asked about his mental block half way through the process.” 

Remus took a sip of his tea as he glanced at the last two in the group attempting the Animagus transformation. “Harry and Neville are the opposite of that. They did not grow up comfortable with magic, Neville due to the fear of not meeting his family’s standards and his uncles need to scar his magic to the surface and Harry due to his family’s constant abuse in response to his magic. They may understand some of the theory but they tend to feel their magic more. They have struggled so far because of how they grew up but I suspect that once they figure it out, they will progress quickly. The transformation takes a leap of faith at some point, all four of the fourth-years are at that point now, it just so happens that for two of them to have much of any progress they have to let go while the other two need it to complete the transformation.”

Sirius nodded, contemplating his friend’s words.

“Who do you think will make the first full transformation?” Severus wondered from Remus’s other side. He had been silently watching the children while listening to Remus and Sirius.

Remus glanced over at the quieter man, “I think the first to transform fully will be George, followed by either Fred or Draco.”

“Not Hermione?” Sirius wondered.

“No,” Remus shook his head. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she was the last to complete the transformation.”

“Because she has the most trouble letting go,” Severus agreed.

“Want to put money on it?” Sirius asked with a wicked grin. “I’ll put 100 Galleons on Harry being the first.”

Severus and Remus shared a long look. “Siri,” Remus sighed, “you do know that neither of us has that much to use on bets, right?”

“Oh, come one, I can spot you.”

“Sirius, we can’t borrow money to bet against you,” Severus sighed. “Additionally, we are both teachers so spending that much on a bet that could go any way with no odds would be foolhardy.”

Sirius sighed heavily, “Fine then 10 Galleons on Harry being the first to complete the transformation.”

“I’ll put 10 on George then,” Remus nodded.

“Draco,” Severus said simply.

“Ten on Hermione,” Fay leaned over Remus’s shoulder. “Girls rule and all that.” She grinned.

“Ten on Gred.” “Ten on Forge.” The twins bellowed in unison. 

“Are you all really going to place bets on who completes the transformation first?” Hermione said with obvious disgust. 

“As much as I hate to do this,” Draco said almost before Hermione closed her mouth, “but, 10 Galleons on Harry. He has a way of doing things he shouldn’t be able to.”

“Thanks, Draco, but I will have to disagree with everyone and put 10 down on Neville.” Harry grinned, “Sorry Hermione.”

Neville blushed, “I think you just lost some money, Harry. I’ll put ten on Harry being the first.”

Hermione threw her hands up in frustration, “And no one is listening to me.” 

“Who do you think will manage first Hermione?” Fay wondered.

She shook her head, “Probably Fred or George as they have the most training with magic, but I am not putting money on that,” She clarified quickly. “Gambling is stupid, which I have pointed out to some of you regularly,” she glanced at the twins. Fred and George took bets for most of the events in the tournament. So far, they were ahead because of how accurate they tended to be on the Quidditch games but they didn’t do as well betting on the tasks because of their loyalty to Harry and Cedric and because of Karkaroff’s biased scoring. They had even had the audacity to thank Hermione for giving them the inside scoop on the academic competition with her unbiased opinion on the outcome of each subject.

“Aw, come on, Hermione,” The twins said, each placing an arm around her shoulders, “We are just having a little fun.”

“Yeah, Hermione,” Sirius whined. “It’s all in good fun.”

“As amusing as this is,” Severus drawled, “are you going to continue with your transformations or would you like to transition to dueling practice?”

“Dueling practice,” five of seven teens shouted.

Severus looked at George and Neville, the two who had not spoken and raised his eyebrow in question. 

“Dueling practice is fine,” Neville said. “I wasn’t getting anywhere.”

“Is there something you wished to ask about the process?”

Neville shook his head, “No, we were all listening to Sirius and Remus talk and I had suspected that I would have to just let go but I am not there yet. I may need to sleep on it to find what it is that is blocking me.”

“George?”

“I’m with Neville on this one. I have an idea but I need time to process it so a change of subject would be appreciated.”

Severus stood, “Alright, time to pair up. The goal today is to learn from your opponent by studying their differing style of dueling. Hermione, you will be against Fred; Fred needs to focus on accuracy while Hermione needs to pay attention to Fred’s creativity in spell choice.”

Remus stood, “Neville will face Draco. Draco needs to learn patience while Neville needs to gain some confidence.”

“George will face Fay. George, like his brother, is creative in his spell choice while Fay has a few go-to spells that she is extremely accurate with, she is also exceptional when it comes to dodging. The best shield is to not be there.”

The three men turned to Harry, “You will face Severus today, Harry.” Remus said quietly. “Your improving greatly and your power is impressive so we want you to see where you stack up against someone who knows how Death Eaters duel. He will not throw any deadly or maiming spells but he won’t take it easy on you either.”

The kids had all nodded when they received their assignments. 

“Remus and I will be monitoring the duels. If there are any questions or problems get our attention. At the end, we will review. I want each of you to pay attention and think about something in your opponent’s approach that could benefit you, even if it is just one spell or one movement.” 

**Wolf Den, Hogsmeade**

Remus Lupin never would have described himself as an Alpha, his wolf, however, had always demanded the position. It took him a great deal of time to come to terms with the fact that he was an Alpha and it had honestly taken finding Aria and battling Greyback for him to fully commit. 

Before, his ‘pack’ was tiny and consisted only of Sirius and James. From James, he had adopted Lily and Harry. His wolf had never seen Peter as pack, so he should really not have been as surprised as he was by the betrayal, but hindsight was twenty-twenty as they say. 

Upon returning to England, he was the Alpha of two, Sirius and Harry. It was Harry who had brought him his honorary daughter and he couldn’t be more pleased to be able to help that young girl adapt and thrive in her new role in life. She would not be the scared, outcast he tried to be. Then there was Aria. His beautiful fiancé walked into his territory ready to kill his enemy at the cost of her own life and instead stole his heart, no matter how hard he had tried to fight it. With her, he wasn’t afraid of what might happen in the future to him or any more children he might be blessed with. He just needed to admit that out loud.

Now he led the first respected, stable British back in nearly one hundred years. His ideas and his willingness to work with the other European packs is what brought men of power to his small home in Hogsmeade. 

The packs met every other month to discuss issues with new wolves, rogues, disputes of territory and other potential issues that could cause problems for wolves, wizards and muggles. Pack leaders were expected to host meetings on rotation and this was the first meeting Remus and his pack were hosting, it was actually the first meeting he was able to attend due to his need to sort the British Werewolves out. It had amazed him how organized the packs were when compared to the way the ministry described werewolves in general. 

Aengus O’Connell, the leader of the Irish pack was the only one to have visited his Hogsmeade home previously, though the leaders of the other packs had attended his Yule party at Potter Manor. Rafael Dominguez, the major pack leader of Spain and Portugal, stood speaking with the Italian pack leader Marcello Giovanni and Catriona Drakos of Greece. There was a lively discussion going on in the dining area; the German, Bulgarian, Russian and Norwegian wolves were loud men with very different appearances. Fredrich was a typical blond German businessman, Radimir Angelov and Gavril Prakenski looked very similar in that they both had dark hair and boxers builds but the Russian, Gavril, looked like a brawler with his scars and his casual clothes, whereas Radimir dressed and acted like a Politician. The Norwegian, Jorgan Landvik, was the eldest among the entire group; his once blond hair was gray and his scared and wrinkled face made him look older than his years. The last of their group were the pack leaders from France and Switzerland. Simon Moreau looked down his nose at the group of them like many French men Remus had met in his time. Lina Amsler was the smallest of the group, her dark hair pulled up into a tight but and she was known for being neutral in everything, like any stereotypical Swiss politician. 

“You are doing well with your pack Mister Lupin,” Lina quietly remarked. “The other packs also appreciate that you and your subordinates are attempting to eradicate the remnants of Greyback’s followers.”

Remus nodded, “Thank you, Madam Amsler. We feel it is our responsibility to fix the problems the British wolves have caused. Had someone stood up to him sooner things may have turned out differently.”

“The problem with Greyback was that initially he was not insane and he was charismatic. That Charisma did not go away with his decreasing sanity and he kept it until the end from what I hear. He managed to convince those who did not know of his exploits that he fought for wolves, many ended up stuck because they followed the promise but were not strong enough to fight the reality.” She glanced at the wolves of Remus’s pack that were stationed around the room to offer aid or protection. “I have spoken with Ashton and Kurt about much of this,” she said gesturing to Remus’s two enforcers. “They found their way into my territory when tracking down the rogues. It is your influence that had them approach in the correct manner and it was your influence and reputation that had me assigning some of my pack to aid them.”

“I thank you for that,” Remus looked at the two most loyal to him from Greyback’s former pack. They had helped him fight their previous Alpha because of their beliefs and their disgust in the man. “I should have done something sooner. I had the strength within as my wolf is no follower but I lacked the confidence and support. I let Greyback run around unchecked for a decade, I needed to fix it.”

Remus’s eyes were drawn to someone moving in from the kitchen. Aria and two of the female wolves from his pack came in carrying platers of hors d'oeuvres, heavy on the meat considering their guests. She set a platter down on a side table near one of the groups and winked at him. 

“Your intended is a good choice,” the Swiss werewolf commented. “She adds a lightness to your overly serious nature and has a good reputation with the American packs. Though I am sure that had nothing to do with your decision to wed her.”

Remus smiled at Aria before glancing back as his fellow pack leader. “I should say I am glad you approve but to be honest I couldn’t care less if anyone here approved or not. Aria and her inner wolf make me happy and I hope I do the same for her.”

“That is what everyone should strive for in a relationship, don’t allow fear to kill what is between you.” She raised a hand to stall his reply,” I may not have been a pack leader in the beginning of Greyback’s reign but I was a lieutenant in the Swiss pack. We had meetings with him in hopes of having a strong leader in Britain, something that had been missing for some time. It was thought that Tabitha would strengthen him as well as curb his inner beast. Greyback always had a thirst for power and acceptance but the prejudice of the common wizard frustrated him and fed the anger of the wolf. Not even the love of his mate could curb the intense anger he felt due to the continued legislation against our kind. Your father, and those like him were a large contributing factor to his rage and that rage is the reason he was not accepted among the packs. We had already rejected him when he sought his revenge against your father by turning you. Greyback did more to harm his cause than help it and in the end, we think he forgot what his original purpose was.

“As I am sure Aengus has shared with you, we want our people to be able to live and work in our world without hiding who they are. There are some countries that have made strides toward that, such as the Bulgarians, Russians and my own country but for the most part Werewolves aren’t classified as people; and honestly the Russians really only allow Werewolves to have certain jobs, typically those in protection and manual labor. The fact that you and your small pack took care of Greyback and the worst of his soldiers while saving children and your ministry knows of it is a great boon for our kind. Your ministry is notorious for discriminatory laws against anything that isn’t an untouched pureblood, but your Aurors accepted what you did and didn’t force registration on any of you. Your school headmaster knows of your circumstance and allows you to teach the students and none of the staff has alerted the authorities. One of your pack attends the school as a student and her studies are not impacted and there are a number of students who know exactly what she is; in fact, from what she shared, it is because of her classmates that she found you to guide her. While it isn’t a wide spread change, this is a step in the right direction.

“We are hopeful that your inclusion in this group will allow those changes to be more widespread. All we want from you is that you stop the calculated attacks in your region and work with us in improving our relations with the greater wizarding public. Perhaps you can also give us new ideas into how to improve those relations.”

Standing Lina addressed the group of pack leaders. “I believe it is time we begin our meeting. We have much to discuss and much to learn of the goings on in our newest sovereign pack.”

The pack leaders around the room shifted around the room taking up positions on chairs, couches and Gavril leaned against a wall in a way that ensured he could see everyone and all the exits, it was something Severus did often, Remus noted. 

“Introductions have been made,” Lina continued, “so I believe we wanted to begin with Remus’s pack's progress in fixing the remains of Greyback’s pack. Remus?”

“Are you prepared to give a report on the status of the last of the rogues?” Remus asked the two wolves from his pack standing in the doorway. Ashton and Kurt had felt responsible for allowing members of their former pack to escape in the chaos that followed Greyback’s defeat. They had spent the months since searching for the few who still believed in the sociopath’s vision and bringing them to heel.

“There were only twenty or so fanatics in the pack, most of those were with Greyback on the night he attacked you and are no longer a problem, the rest of the pack tried to keep their heads down so as not to be noticed. The few who weren’t in the Forbidden forest last summer briefly tried to gather forces but were forced out by the stronger members of our faction that remained with the pack. With no one to aid them, they fled the country.”

Kurt nodded in agreement with Ashton’s assessment. “Three of those that fled were rather stupid and have been arrested by the ministries of the countries they were in while committing various crimes, we left them to their fates. Five, however, were concerning.”

“We caught up to one within twenty-four hours,” Ashton looked to the French pack leader, “Leopold Grimes set a trap for us in France, but we were expecting that and took him down and turned him over to the French pack as members of the pack were present during the altercation.”

Remus nodded, “My pack thanks you for your understanding and cooperation in that instance Pack Leader Moreau.”

They received a nod in return so Kurt continued, “We have the Swiss pack to thank for helping us track down and apprehend Will and Reaper. Both were brought back to Britain and were sentenced to pack justice, which with the new pack order means they were turned over to the DMLE to pay for their crimes.”

“Chambers managed to make his way into Asia, specifically China.” Kurt paused while the pack leaders took this in. China was not a safe place for non-wizarding magical beings and even less safe for foreign wizards classified as creatures. Any foreign creature found within Chinese borders would be put to death, no exceptions. “For obvious reasons, we did not follow him into China but did speak to a member of the border control team and told them all we could about him. They reported less than eight hours later that he had been dealt with.”

“The last is Orval.” Ashton paused to collect his thoughts. “This is both the best and worst option for a rogue. Orval was perhaps the smartest of Greyback’s faithful so he is the least likely to cause unnecessary problems but that also means that if he wants revenge or to cause mayhem, he will be the one that would pull it off without getting caught instantly. Our information suggests he made his way into Africa.”

“Because of his intelligence, he will make his way to the most tolerant region and then bide his time. We may never see him again or he could find enough like-minded wolves that he would be confident in taking down those he considered traitors and come here. As of now, we are at a standstill as we have lost the trail and we do not have contacts in Africa.”

Remus nodded, knowing that was the end of his packs report for the council. “The rest of Greyback’s pack appears to be adjusting well to the change in leadership well. I have members that were loyal to Tabitha keeping watch for any dissension. I have no intention of letting any of them destroy the peace we now have or cause any damage to the property my friends are allowing me to use for the pack. We will continue to monitor Orval but will not place any of the pack in danger by tracking him into an unfavorable situation. If he returns to any council territory, we will deal with him.”

Aengus stood, “Well done, Remus Lupin. Your actions prove you will be a good inclusion to this council. Now on to global issues, I have had contact with two of the American packs, one based out of upstate New York and the other on the Pacific Northwest. The American packs have not wanted any contact with our packs due to the European ministries but they watch the situations in various countries. It seems they, like us, are hopeful about what is going on in Britain with this pack. Both packs have asked to open communications with the council of packs. Opinions?”

From the entrance to the kitchen, Aria pushed herself off the wall, “If I may?”

Aengus, knowing her and her past nodded, “Speak, Aria, mate of Remus, pack leader of Britain.”

“I spent some time among the American packs, trying to find my place as I was not welcome in Ireland and wanted no part in Greyback’s reign of terror.” Aengus’s packs rejection still stung from time to time, “I spent time with half a dozen packs and those two were among them. The pack from the west coast is based out of Oregon and are extremely welcoming to everyone, they would cause no problems. The pack based out of New York are a bit posh in their beliefs but to be reaching out to the council is a huge step. They don’t reach out unless they think you and your pack can aid them in some way.”

Aengus nodded, “I have not spent time with either pack but I have had need to speak with pack leaders from America. I have not spoken to the Oregon pack leader as they tend to stay where they are but I have spoken to the pack leader from New York on numerous occasions, his approach surprises me greatly. The New York pack thinks themselves above the other American packs as it is the oldest pack in America, they’re a bit like your British pureblood lords in that respect.”

“That attitude is why I didn’t stay in New York long. I much preferred Oregon. There was so much forest land, fields, oceans, lakes. The Oregon pack runs more like a family because they are so in tune with nature and their inner wolves. For a pack of werewolves, they are remarkably peaceful.”

The pack leaders argued over the inclusion of the two packs that so differed in their actions and policies, both of which were considered acceptable practices to each of the leaders. What they had a problem with in some cases, the Spanish, German and Bulgarian packs in particular, was their attitudes and lack of inclusion outside of America. Not surprisingly Lina Amsler was neutral on the subject of including the packs, as were the Norwegian and French pack leaders. Aengus strongly argued for including the American packs, voicing their differing practices as assets as well as claiming it would ease any travel to the country for werewolves with written alliances; Remus, the Greek and Italian pack leaders were in agreement. The most surprising supporter of including the American packs was Gavril, the Russian pack leader. Aengus had described the Russian as suspicious and basically paranoid; he had been wary of including Remus and his fledgling pack into the alliance but grudgingly agreed because of the message it would send to the world’s packs. 

“I think with the current global climate that it is in our best interest to make lasting ties to packs outside of Europe. We currently have extreme trouble getting into any Asian nation other than Japan and Africa is literally a dark continent for European werewolves to travel anywhere near the full moon because at that time we can’t hide who and what we are. If we have ties with other continents, our people will not be limited in where they can explore. Potentially we can have a network of support for our citizens in every corner of the planet and support if wizarding politics change suddenly, giving all of us options and escape routes.”

There was a moment of silence, Gavril was not known for his eloquence, or for speaking much at all, so those pack leaders who knew him best were surprised. “Well said,” Aengus managed to say after tamping down his surprise. “I couldn’t agree more. Are there any other points to add to the discussion?” He waited a few moments, meeting the eyes of all his fellow leaders before continuing, “Then I suggest we take a vote.”

In the end, the packs voted to offer the two American packs a version of their alliance. They would not have the same voting power as the other pack leaders to start out but they would have a foothold into the European group, having only one leader vote against the inclusion, that being the German pack leader and he almost never voted for any change; honestly it was not surprising as he had a general distaste and distrust of Americans.

There were only a few minor issues brought to the table after that and the packs closed the official portion of the meeting and got to know the leading members of British pack, particularly Remus and Aria. As was typical, the packs shared dinner before the visiting leaders left for home or their rooms at local inns. 

The last to leave was Gavril. The Russian approached Remus, appearing rather apprehensive. “Might I speak to you about something for a moment, Pack Leader Lupin?”

“Of course, Pack Leader Prakenski, but please call me Remus.”

He nodded ever so slightly, “I am here to speak to you about allowing one of my pack into your territory.”

Remus smiled, “I have no problem with a member of your pack coming to Britain.”

Gavril held up a hand, “Before you agree, I am asking for you to allow a Durmstrang student that happens to be a werewolf to join his fellow students at the school. He was chosen for the dueling team but because of his affliction was asked to stay behind and only join the students for the two days he would be competing. His Dueling instructor at the school is aware of what he is and knew about the change in werewolf leadership so chanced placing him on the team knowing I would have contact with the new pack leader and I could argue for the young man. Ilya is the youngest to be chosen for the team and is honored to be included and would not have approached me to argue his case had he not heard of Greyback’s fall and the subsequent change in attitude we have for the leadership here.”

“Gavril, I have a fourteen-year-old wolf at the school who has only been a wolf for a year and half. In the short time I have been acquainted with you, it is obvious you are a cautious person; knowing that you would not approach me about anyone that did not have control. He has my permission to be here for the dueling competition and if he wishes it, he has my permission to stay for the remainder of the year so long as he joins my pack on the full moon. If you wanted, he could join his school any day and he would be welcome.”

The surprise on the Russian’s face was obvious, “Thank you, Remus.”

“You are welcome, Gavril. Now, is there a particular reason this means so much to you? You seem overly invested in this and gave much more information than is necessary when trying to convince me to allow him into my territory.”

He sighed, “Ilya is my son and is the first werewolf student to attend Durmstrang. The school is allowing him to attend as a trial; if all goes well, then the packs of eastern Europe can start sending their children to Durmstrang as long as a pack leader vouches for them and the pack leader is responsible for the werewolf on the night of the full moon. Ilya is in his fifth year and there have been no problems as of yet, having him attend Hogwarts during the tournament with no issue and the British pack leader’s approval would be a giant step forward for our children.”

“Gavril, I couldn’t agree more with what you are doing. When I was eleven, I was more than surprised to receive my Hogwarts letter. I am the only werewolf to attend an entire seven years and it is only by chance that a member of my pack attends now; honestly, we haven’t explicitly shared with the headmaster that she is affected, though I am sure he knows. Officially, our potions master, the school healer and her Head of House are the only professors beside myself who are in on it. Changing minds enough to allow all children with enough control the right to an education is my greatest wish as a pack leader and I will help any other who is working toward that dream.”

**Gringotts**

Ragnok examined the documents his employees handed him with interest. The Tom Riddle problem, and his Horcruxes, was of high importance to him and to the Nation. He was rather impressed with the young human seated in his office, waiting patiently without unnecessary fidgeting, while he read through the relevant data. Most humans were far too nervous around goblins and as such tended to move constantly; wringing their hands, crossing and uncrossing their legs, and other such nervous ticks were commonplace with most humans. For a human to sit patiently without their body screaming their emotions was an impressive feat and Bill Weasley was currently impressing the most important Goblin in his life.

The imposing Goblin placed the papers on his desk and turned his attention to the young human, “Report Curse Breaker Weasley.”

“From what we can ascertain, there is only one Horcrux remaining, as the report says.” While he knew he was repeating everything that was written, Bill knew how he recapped the report was more important that anything. “The Diary and Diadem were found in Hogwarts, one destroyed in Hogwarts and one was given into my care so that Gringotts could cleanse it. Gringotts found the locket while clearing the residence of Lord Black and has since cleansed this Horcrux as well. Thanks to Harry Potter being displaced from his previous home, the Horcrux-like essence fused to his scar was discovered and the existence of the problem was discovered by the Nation. His scar was cleansed and the Horcrux hidden by the prosecuted Lestrange family was also dealt with.

“Through the old practices, magic dictates that there were seven soul fragments including the remaining host soul. Five have been dealt with by Gringotts or her allies. One Horcrux has since been nullified through the rebirth process that stole the magic from Dmitri Markov, who is lucky to still have his life. This indicates that there is one remaining Horcrux and, based on information presented by those most familiar with the Criminal Tom Riddle, the most likely host of that final Horcrux is in fact his familiar, a highly poisonous snake known as Nagini.”

“You have learned our ways, Curse Breaker Weasley. Your trainers have complementary reports about you and your involvement in this case has brought about a quicker conclusion than anticipated as you have access that we do not. I am pleased.” Bill nodded in gratitude without showing much emotion, increasing Ragnok’s regard for the young man. “My strategists have spent time attempting to ascertain how we could get a hold of the mad shades familiar but I would like to hear your option on this matter.”

Bill looked down for a moment in thought. “While most wizards hold their familiar in high regard, I don’t think Riddle will act in the same way they would. From the way it has been described by Severus Snape, I think the bond between Riddle and Nagini is more obsessive than most wizards. I think he will be more paranoid and protective of his snake because of the Horcrux but more because of his Parselmouth talent. He has something that most wizards don’t, he has his familiar’s thoughts and emotions. I fear that Riddle will keep the snake close to him and it will be more protected. If I had to guess, the snake will be with the Shade and not the newly formed version of Riddle.”

“And our chances at apprehending the snake?”

“I don’t think they are good. We have not been able to track the magic because Riddle sits behind strong wards. Strong wards normally would not be a problem for us but he keeps moving and changing the ward scheme with each move. There is also a theory that he has set up dummy locations to distribute our attention. In all honesty, unless we get lucky, I don’t think anyone will have access to the snake until he springs whatever trap he has in the works for Harry. With that in mind, I will be sharing our prediction on the host of the final Horcrux with him and those closest to him; because it is a living creature it will be easier to destroy than the others but because of the alterations Riddle completed on the snake, magically the snake will still be difficult to kill, perhaps on the level of a dragon or basilisk in terms of spell resistance.”

Ragnok smiled menacingly, “A good sword would rend that snake in two with no problem at all. An axe would be equally effective.”

Bill smirk, “Maybe I should suggest everyone start carrying blades.”

“If only we lived in a time when wizards respected actual combat. Do you have any ideas as to how to break through the warding hiding the shade and his snake?”

“We need to look more closely at his potential followers. If we can narrow down the suspect pool, we can perhaps see any variations in their routines.” He had a faraway look as he thought, “We have a general idea of who followed in the wizarding world, and I expect the Nation has an even more concrete list of followers that isn’t tainted by the Imperious plea. It would be prudent to look at all Imperious freed individuals, suspected individuals, anyone Severus Snape says to watch and their families. This could also help us track down the resurrected Riddle produced by the Horcrux Nott found before we did, his family and acquaintances should be at the top of any list. Neither Riddle should be allowed to continue causing mayhem.”

“Sound, Gringotts accounts managers and tellers will be notified to watch certain members for unusual and large withdrawals. The ward team is attempting to alter our sensors to inform us when and where new and powerful ward schemes pop up in hopes of catching the shade. Gringotts asks that you make a report to the DMLE and inform those within Hogwarts who are allied with the Nation. We must bring an end to this evil.”

**A Country Manor House**

The man who called himself Lord Voldemort looked at himself critically in the mirror. His newly formed body was in decent shape though it lacked energy and he was easily tired. Damn his minions for explaining what they were doing with the young man. If they hadn’t explained the young man may not have let himself go and he would have been able to drain more of his magic and life force. As it was, his resurrection was not as it should be. His body was fully formed but his core was slightly damaged and something internal was not functioning at top form. 

Voldemort had planned to start wreaking havoc the moment he had a new body but because of his lack of energy from the interrupted drain, he would have to wait. He and Nott had already performed three rituals designed to increase reserves and strengthen magical cores. Voldemort had also been taking a daily potions regimen for the same purpose. In a weeks’ time he would be starting a new potion that was extremely dark, entirely illegal but did so much more for his weakened body. He had to wait the week so that the other potions and rituals could bring his body to a point where it could handle the new toxins.

Well, he would be starting the new potion in a week if he could get the ingredients he needed in the next two days.

The new potion regimen needed to be started at midnight on the night of the full moon. On each night after the full moon he would need to drink another dose of the potion at exactly midnight until the night of the next full moon. The only problem with that plan now was that the potion took just under six days to brew and they did not have all the ingredients yet. They could not brew it ahead of time and all the ingredients needed to be fresh going into the potion. Nott had already acquired all but two of the ingredients, the animals and plants the parts would be rendered from were being kept in another room so that they could harvest moments before adding to the potion.

Because of the fact that Lucius’s damned elf somehow revived the Bulgarian, Nott was no longer able to travel in the light of day. He couldn’t even walk down Knockturn Alley without Aurors breathing down his neck. Voldemort and Tiberius had been forced to seek out someone else to acquire then ingredients his elf could not. He hoped Tiberius had an acceptable plan, the young men he summoned did not appear to want to be there, so it would appear unlikely.

Ralston Nott stood behind his father, with his brother Sebastian at his side and didn’t know what to think. The older Nott boys had been summoned by their father in a way they could not ignore. Being the head of the family, Tiberius Nott could summon his of age family and they would have to come when he dictated whether they were busy or not. So, when the summons came, Ralston and Sebastian Nott both left work with barely a word to their respective bosses and rushed to their father’s side. 

It didn’t matter that their father was wanted by the Aurors for questioning in the kidnapping of a foreigner while at the World Cup. It didn’t matter that both wanted to distance themselves from that criminal activity. Their opinion would never matter when the family magic was invoked. The Nott Family magic meant they could not refuse a direct order; the only thing that would stop the pull of magic was being behind powerful wards like those at Hogwarts, the Ministry holding cells, Gringotts Bank and Azkaban. 

Ralston’s boss was from an old family so knew enough about the Nott family magic that he hadn’t asked any questions upon learning of the official family summons. Sebastian did not have it so easy. Those he worked with were from many backgrounds and very few were from families that still invoked family magic, let alone knew what it was, so there had been more questions. 

“I have need of potions,” the tall man standing before the Nott men said. “Tiberius has done all he can by bringing me back to a body but in doing so he has limited his ability to move freely within our society. You will be rewarded when I have taken my rightful place in power my friend.”

“Thank you, my Lord,” Tiberius bowed deeply. “I have summoned my elder sons to aid you, the last is a student at Hogwarts so is unable to feel the summon and attend you. Both did well while attending Durmstrang; Ralston works at the ministry in the international law offices while Sebastian is a researcher with St. Mungo’s in their potions division; he is new to the position but has completed his mastery studies so is fully qualified to aid you in brewing your potions.”

“Young Sebastian,” the man breathed, “it seems you are the perfect person to help me. I know that you have access to a great many rare potions ingredients if you are a researcher for the hospital. You will gather the ingredients I need and aid me in the brewing process. It is imperative that things go perfectly for my plans to succeed so you will be punished if you do not do as instructed.” He paused and looked over the three Nott men present. “Your father has served me well as both friend and follower, do not disappoint me or him.”

Sebastian looked sideways at his brother for a moment, wondering what he should do. The brothers were in agreement that they did not want to involve themselves in their father’s blood obsession. They believed in Purebloods ruling their country but did not think blood needed to be spilled to achieve that; they also knew that equality was inevitable at this point due to the Black alliance. It was stupid to fight the Black family’s money and connections, especially with Bones, Longbottom and Greengrass taking up the banner of equality.

Ralston gave a slight nod, keeping his attention on the man before them. They had not been introduced but they knew who it was anyway. There was only one man their father would ever bow to, the Dark Lord. Tiberius had told his sons that if there was anyone out there who could return from death it would be his Lord. Neither had truly believed their father but it was apparent they should have. The proof was standing before them entirely due to their father’s actions.

“I will do all I can for you, my Lord,” Sebastian said while bowing his head in respect. He had been fighting his fear from the moment he walked through the door of the country Manor house. Something about the man before him scared and revolted him. “If you give me the potion or the ingredients, I will bring them to you as soon as I can reasonably present them without suspicion.”

“You will present them to me in two days’ time.”

The younger Nott looked to his father but saw no assistance there. “My Lord, depending on the ingredient, it may be difficult for me to acquire everything you need. I am not currently working with many rare ingredients and some of them would be toxic to my current research. We are closely monitored due to the expense of many ingredients and because of who is on the board.”

Lord Voldemort glared, “I do not care if it will bring unwanted attention to you. There have been too many setbacks in my return to power already and I will not wait on you because you fear for your job. I am Lord Voldemort and I can secure you a job in any industry once I reach power. Get me the potions in two days or suffer the consequences.”

“With respect, my Lord…”

Tiberius swore under his breath and interrupted his son, “My son is correct, my Lord. Richard Bones sits on the board at the hospital and has strong ties to the Black alliance as well as being related to Amelia Bones. As we discussed, Amelia Bones is the Head of the DMLE and cannot be bought or intimidated to overlook anything. We do not want to draw the attention of Richard Bones.”

“Why would Bones have eyes on the research department?”

Sebastian answered this time, “The Bones family has always had strong ties to the Longbottom Family, who has strong ties to the Black family through the young Potter Heir. With the Black siblings attempting to change Wizarding Britain, Madam Longbottom has been more open to a great many things. Her son and daughter-in-law are permanent patients of the Janus Thickey Ward for over exposure to the Cruciatus curse. It seems that Miss Black convinced Madam Longbottom to ask for additional research into potions to combat Cruciatus exposure. Richard Bones has made this his focus at the hospital; he checks in with the head of the department daily and the head of the department inventories daily. Taking something without having a need in current research would at the very least put me under investigation, if not get me fired. If I am to continue to be of service to you in gaining access to restricted ingredients then I need to keep my job.” 

He sighed and continued, “I am aware you could get me any job I wished once you reach your rightful position but with my father unable to make public movements it would be unwise to have a second member of the Nott family under suspicion.”

The newly risen Voldemort studied the young man, “You could begin a new project.”

“With respect, my Lord, but I am a newer employee. I am required to check in with the department head and my immediate supervisor when attempting a new project and my current research is not yet at a point where I could feasibly suggest I start something new. I have had too much success to abandon the project and the department knows I have been excited about this potion and have not even begun thinking seriously about a new potion, my tests for the current potion should keep me busy for a month at least if not two. If you need ingredients that I do not have access to now, it would probably be smarter to look for another outlet.”

Before Voldemort could respond Ralston interjected. “While I am new to my position, I am not new in my department. Because my promotion is new, I have been helping others throughout the department, making myself indispensable, as any intelligent individual would. I might be able to contact someone on the continent and slip something into an order. The International Law offices at the Ministry are exceptionally busy right now with the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts so it is unlikely for anyone to notice me doing anything unusual and all orders go through our department to ensure proper procedure and billing is followed.”

With a wave of his borrowed wand, Voldemort produced two identical lists of potions ingredients. The lists only showed those ingredients that Tiberius had not already been able to acquire through his criminal contacts. “Those are the ingredients I am in need of at this time. I will need all but one in two days; the last ingredient I need by the day of the full moon, it is noted as such. Each ingredient should be presented to me in the exact way it is listed. If I need it freshly cut, you should bring me the plant so I can cut it or the animal so I can kill it. If it can’t be placed under stasis charms it will not say fresh. If you have questions on the ingredients now would be the time to ask.”

The young men studied the list but did not appear to have any questions. 

He turned his back to the Nott men. “Tiberius, you will need to provide your son with the funds for anything he needs to purchase overseas. I will also need you to contact wand smiths on the continent. I require a wand of my own as this loaner is not a true match and it keeps fighting me with certain spells. I would visit Ollivander’s but I am not yet ready to inform the masses that I have arisen and there are other worthy crafters in Europe that would not instantly recognize me for who I was.”

“Of course, my Lord.” Nott quickly replied. “Is there a particular wand smith I should contact?”

“I would like you to research them and find one who uses other cores regularly and is not likely to contact our opposition if they do happen to know who I am.” He studied the wand in his hand, “I am curious about the power of cores other than the three Ollivander uses and know that no wand with a unicorn hair would ever choose one such as me. If there is a smith talented with using snake parts then he should be near the top of the list.” He turned his red eyes to his school acquaintance, “I would also like you to start contacting the old guard. We need to be prepared to strike when I reach my full strength.”

“I will do what I can. Many of the old guard are either traitors or in Azkaban at this time. I had sent Yaxley out to search for your specter but he has only just recently gotten in contact with me again. It seems he was found by Barty Crouch Junior and is unable to return to us.” He shook his head, “Crouch is apparently less sane then he was during your last reign and your specter has very defined plans though Yaxley is unsure of their intended purpose.”

“I thought Barty Junior died in Azkaban, father,” Ralston wondered. 

“As did I,” Tiberius agreed. “I have asked Yaxley for an explanation but have not gotten a response as of yet.” He paused and turned his attention fully on his master. “I believe Barty Junior would be a loyal follower, my Lord. If I can get a response as to his competency level from Yaxley, I will consider bringing him into the fold but I fear the story of his survival will not be one that would allow him to maintain what little sanity he had and I have no idea what the broken piece of you could do to him in the meantime.”

“Do you know the focus of my other self’s plan?”

“I do not have the details, my Lord, but I do know that Potter is at the center of it. I would assume that he is planning the boy’s death to somehow announce he, and in turn you, are not dead.”

“Why Potter, specifically. If I am not mistaken, he is merely a fourteen-year-old boy. His Parseltongue abilities aside, he does not appear to be overly powerful.”

“Harry Potter is the Boy-Who-Lived,” Sebastian said without thinking. “He is the reason for your downfall because somehow your killing curse rebounded off him and struck you instead.”

Tiberius spoke quickly before his lord could harm his son, “There was a prophecy, my Lord, and you were sure it referred to the Potter brat.”

Voldemort frowned, “A prophecy? I have never had much faith in the discipline, as you well know Tiberius. While there are prophets, it is impossible for all but magic to determine the true meaning of the predictions before the events play out.”

“I am aware, my Lord, but Dumbledore seemed to find it important, so you did too. You put a great deal of time into searching for the individual that it claimed could be your end.”

“This information disturbs me. Not even the old coot claiming a prophecy as true could ever get me to alter my plans and focus on a possibility. I will need to research this and attempt to understand my out of character obsession.” He shook his head, “Enough of that. I need those potions ingredients.”

Voldemort studied the Nott men. He could see the fear in Tiberius’s sons and it pleased him. He knew he was not at full strength but they still feared him. Tiberius had done well so far, though his oversight about the Bones family interfering with their ability to acquire what they needed would need to be addressed and he had still not punished the man for not controlling Lucius Malfoy properly. He considered for a moment and decided he would not need to suffer under the Cruciatus for the Bones mistake but he would need to pay for whatever potions ingredients they needed to buy personally, with no hope of getting a refund. Tiberius was well aware that at some point he would be at the receiving end of a Crucio over the Malfoy fiasco; the anticipation would make it that much sweeter when he finally felt his master’s ire.

Sebastian would need to be punished as well. He feared for his job more than helping his Lord and that could not be allowed. The boy may have admitted that he could get him any job he wished but Lord Voldemort did not think he truly believed in the promise of the future under Lord Voldemort. This may require the Cruciatus but for now he would wait. Whether he suffered in that way or not would depend entirely on what he brought his master from the lab. He would also need to learn to hold his tongue.

Ralston Nott, however, would not be punished. So far, he was the only one who had not openly failed his master, but Voldemort would continue to watch. 

Sending his sons to Durmstrang had been both a good and bad idea for Tiberius. Sending them away got them out from under Albus’s thumb but considering their family history, they would have most likely ended up in Slytherin. Slytherins were not Dumbledore’s favorites and experienced more prejudice so were more likely to oppose the Leader of the Light. Durmstrang gave them greater experience with the Dark Arts but it also made them harder to manipulate, and it would appear, more likely to oppose their rightful lord. 

Ralston and Sebastian would require watching.


	33. For The Love Of...

**Slytherin Common room**

Theo Nott sat on his bed in the fourth year Slytherin boy’s dorm, with an unopened letter in his hands, he was afraid to see what was written on the pages within the envelope. The handwriting was distinctive, at least to him; even though the Nott men all had similar penmanship, he could identify the writer every time. 

Theo and his siblings were not close for a number of reasons. Ralston and Sebastian were years older; both being born from their father’s first marriage. Both young men were finished with their schooling at Durmstrang before Theo left for Hogwarts, in fact, Sebastian completed his schooling the year before Theo officially became a Slytherin; Ralston was three years older than Sebastian. 

Ralston was a lawyer with the International Law offices at the ministry. He had started at the British Ministry directly after graduating from Durmstrang and had gotten the position he did mostly because of their father’s influence. The eldest Nott boy had been promoted entirely on his own merit. 

Sebastian had started his mastery studies with a German Potions Master only days after leaving Durmstrang; he did not return to his family home before beginning his additional studies. The potions enthusiast had completed his studies to his master’s satisfaction in under three years and had gotten a position with St. Mungo’s research division on the recommendation of his former master. Sebastian had since impressed his superiors with his creativity and insight in the body, diseases, curses and how potions affected them.

Taking a deep breath, Theo carefully opened the envelope and stared down at his eldest brother’s handwriting. 

_Theodore,_

_The time we feared has arrived. Father has thrown his hat into the ring with his former Lord and is determined to drag his sons down with him. Sebastian and I were called to a meeting, using the family magic, at one of the manor houses that belonged to my mother. Our proud father bowed to a man I have never met, a man who called himself Lord Voldemort. Apparently, father was responsible for recreating his body using some extremely dark magics; I have done some research in the family library and have some theories but do not wish to discuss them in letters, as each is too dark to put into words that could be intercepted._

_There was some problem with the method of his rebirth, so the Dark Lord is weak and requires rituals and potions to bring him to full strength and proper health, which is why Sebastian was called. Father insisted that our brother could get the rare and monitored ingredients that were needed as well as brew whatever potion was needed without problem or question. The issue with that is, Sebastian did question those instructions and for good reason. He could not get the ingredients they were requesting without being questioned or losing his job; neither of which is an option for him. Bastian loves his job._

_I have sent our brother out of the country to ask for sanctuary from the Bulgarian ministry. It is my hope that because of the attack at the world cup, they will be more likely to take Sebastian seriously and will not want a swift return for the mad man who inspired the fiasco at the game. As you know, the only thing that will stop the call of the Family Magics, is an extremely powerful ward configuration._

_I will be approaching our ministry in the hope that they will listen and protect me from the family magics, our father and an insane self-named Lord._ _Were this any other ministry, I too would be fleeing the country but Amelia Bones’ reputation gives me hope, as do the changes being spearheaded by the Black alliance within the Wizengamot._

_Unfortunately, I cannot protect you in this situation because I fear I am in more danger than either of my brothers. When Sebastian gave his argument, I said I would procure the ingredients needed through foreign contacts; I have no intention of doing this. He will come for me first when he is at full strength for my blatant betrayal, and our brother second for his inability to fall into their plans without question._

_My advice to you, is to find someone in your school who would be willing to shield you. I do not have to tell you that this person needs to live in a manor with strong wards and political power._

_If I do not survive this, know that I would have protected you if I could, little brother. Our father did not encourage interaction between us because he thought his second marriage was a mistake, something I am sure you are aware of. Father never recovered from my mother’s death and so took that out on you and your mother. When she died, you became his only target._

_I am sorry baby brother. We failed you and if I survive this, I will make it up to you. I will be the brother I should have been all along._

_Yours,_

_Ralston_

Theo reread the letter a dozen times. Each time found a new bit of information hidden within the words, and each time he came to understand just what he had to do. 

He reached to his bedside table, planning to set the letter on fire but stopped. There was no need to destroy the letter. He had no plan to hide what his father and brothers were doing. He folded the letter, placing it securely in his pocket, placed his wand in his holster and went searching for a certain Slytherin.

…

Theodore Nott found Fay Dunbar first.

“Fay,” he called seeing her walking down the hall talking with Lavender and Parvati. “Could I speak with you a moment?”

“Sure, Theo,” she turned to the girls, “I’ll talk to you later, okay?” 

Once both girls were out of site, and earshot Theo opened his mouth to begin, but didn’t know how. Was this the time to do this? Should he leave it for now? “Fay…”

The Gryffindor tilted her head and studied the Slytherin. She could see the unease and guilt in his eyes, she was fairly certain she knew what this was about. “You’re breaking up with me, aren’t you?”

He looked at his feet, “I am so sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, Theo. I don’t think either of us thought this would last forever, it’s not like we are Harry and Hermione. You are the first guy I have ever dated and I don’t know about you but I’m not ready for forever; I don’t even really know who I am yet so I am definitely not ready to be an us.” She smiled at him, “For a first boyfriend you did really well. You didn’t break my heart, you weren’t a jerk, you didn’t torment my friends or try to dictate what I wore or did. I hope I am not mistaken, but despite dating, I think we can still be friends?”

Theo smiled slightly, “You are far better than I deserved, Fay Dunbar. You are right that this never felt like a forever thing but I did enjoy it. I hadn’t planned on this until I received a letter this morning. My future is rather uncertain and I didn’t think it would be fair to continue seeing you if I couldn’t focus on you.”

Fay frowned, “Is everything alright?”

“I don’t really know. As you know, my father is wanted in connection with the incident at the World Cup and the kidnapping of Dmitri Markov. My brother wrote to me and informed me of some other issues that affect the whole family and not in a way that gives me any hope for the future of House Nott.”

“What can I do?”

He shook his head, “I was hoping to speak to Draco, actually. This is something he would understand and I need his opinion on what I should do. I think I know what I need to do but I am in need of his council before moving forward.”

“I know where he is, I can take you to him.” She grabbed Theo’s hand and dragged him behind a tapestry just down the hall. Behind the tapestry was a slim staircase that seemed to go on forever.

“Where is this taking us?”

“Seventh floor, down the hall from the Astronomy tower.”

“Why would Draco be at the Astronomy tower?”

“He’s not, he is doing some studying with Harry, Hermione and Neville in a room on the seventh floor, that passageway just so happened to be the quickest way based on where we were talking.”

“I’ve never used this passageway before, I didn’t even know it was there. How did you find it?”

“Fred and George,” she paused, “well, sort of. They learned about it from some notes they found that told them about the different passageways around the castle. The notes were written by Harry’s father, Sirius Black and Professor Lupin. Upon learning the identity of the writers, they used nicknames, Fred and George gifted them to Harry.” She hoped that was an okay way to talk about the map without actually talking about the map.

“I sense a story there but won’t ask as it isn’t your story to tell.”

She grinned, “Thank you.”

They stepped out onto the seventh floor much quicker than he thought possible. “So, I take it you never take the regular way to get to the seventh floor, that cut about ten minutes off of the trip!”

“Most of the time we take hidden passages. There are four that are short cuts to the seventh floor, one opening near each of the towers but they are all on different floors. The one leading to the Divination classroom is the most useless as it is on the fifth floor and starts in an area of the castle that isn’t used often so we don’t use that one. If you are on the fourth floor you have to go down one level to get to one of these passages so sometimes it is easier just to take the regular way.”

She led him down the hall and stopped just outside a door he had never seen before, across the hall from a tapestry portraying a wizard attempting to teach trolls, of all things, to dance ballet. 

“My friends are studying something that isn’t illegal, per say, but it is frowned upon. It is also advanced magic that most think is hard for adults, and nearly impossible for students who haven’t completed their OWLs. They are completely safe despite the challenge because they are monitored by adults at every session; today Professors Snape and Lupin are in with them; Sirius Black usually comes but I think he had meetings today so couldn’t make it. I need your word that you won’t tell anyone or I will have to improvise.”

“Their secrets are mine; I am about to share something with Draco that I would not wish bandied about with just anyone. Honestly, it is probably best that Professor Snape is here too, he may be able to help as well.”

She smiled and opened the door to reveal something he never would have imagined. Hermione Granger had fur. There was reddish-brown fur covering most of her body but white fur covering her hands…paws? Draco had fur too but his was white and black stripped. He thought Neville’s hands looked much too large and were now black. Harry Potter had white feathers instead of hair. Was that a tail?

“They are training to become animagi,” he whispered with awe.

Despite his whisper, the individuals in the room heard him, each could hear better than normal due to their partial transformations. 

“Can we help you with something, Mister Nott?” Theo had not noticed his professor due to his surprise over the state of his fourth-year classmates.

He jumped slightly, the man was incredibly sneaky. “Sorry, Professor.” He looked at Draco, now fur free, “I was planning to speak to Draco about something but in all honesty, I probably should have come to you for advice, Sir.” He reached into the pocket of his robe and removed the letter and looked around the room, none of these people would blame him or harm him for what he was planning to do. “I trust all of you with this as I believe we stand on the same side of this confrontation. My eldest brother wrote to me about a situation involving my father. It seems our father decided he would pull his sons into his illegal actions, namely the resurrection and support of the Dark Lord.” He saw everyone in the room stiffen slightly, not in fear but as if they were all preparing to react. “Father used the Family Magic to call my brothers to him; Hogwarts wards protected me but my brothers were not so lucky. It seems that Father resurrected the Dark Lord in some way but there was a problem with that resurrection and he needs to take potions and perform rituals to bring himself to full strength. 

“It was the potions portion of that equation my brother Sebastian was called in for. Bastian is a potions master, not at your caliber professor, but good enough to be in the research and development department of St. Mungo’s. This also means he has access to rare ingredients.”

“The rarest ingredients would be closely monitored, especially at St. Mungo’s,” Professor Snape said with complete confidence.

“Which is exactly why my brother essentially said there was nothing he could do. To save Sebastian, Ralston said he could use his international contacts to get the ingredients. Ralston has since sent Sebastian overseas to seek sanctuary with the Bulgarian Ministry.”

“What is Ralston planning to do?” Harry asked with obvious concern.

Seeing the concern in Harry Potter’s eyes, he realized he should have been helping the Gryffindor all along. “He plans to approach Amelia Bones; well he said the Ministry but sighted Madam Bones as one of his main reasons for trusting in the government.”

He could see most of the group nodding in agreement with that decision. “What about you? I have been reading up on Family Magic as it is something House Potter has though it hasn’t been used in a long time, but from what I understand, members of a house have very few options when it comes to the orders of their Head. The Heir has more options because they are the intended successor but even then, a Head can bring them to heal.” He closed his eyes in thought for a moment, “The only thing that will stop the call of a Head, is powerful wards, such as those at Hogwarts, Gringotts Bank, Ministry holding cells and Azkaban, that means that once you leave the school, you will be open to your father’s machinations.”

Theo nodded, “I don’t plan on leaving school grounds until I absolutely have to.” He turned his attention fully on Draco, “I was hoping to ask you, Draco, if you thought I might be able to seek sanctuary with you, because my brother does not know if he can protect me until my father is dealt with, if he survives at all.”

It was Harry who answered, “There is a room for you at Grimmauld Place.” Theo could not help the surprise that crossed his face at the quick reply, seeing this Harry continued, “My godfather is from an old family much like yours, he did not agree with his family’s direction and ideas when it came to Voldemort. You are going against your father, something Sirius did and was punished for often, he would never abandon a child to that fate.”

“Perhaps you should contact the mutt, Mister Potter?”

Harry nodded and walked to the bags piled against the wall and pulled out a mirror.

“Mister Nott,” Theo turned his attention back to his head of house, “I would advise that you write to your brother, and suggest that he mention his need to be within powerful wards to Madam Bones. If I am not mistaken, Mister Potter is going to ask Black if he would approach Madam Bones with the idea of allowing your brother, perhaps even both of them, to stay at the Black home in London. The property is unplottable and the ward system is one of the most vicious I have ever studied. I do not think the Dark Lord, in his prime, would be able to take down the wards at Grimmauld without working for a few weeks and sacrificing at least twenty gifted followers. I also believe it would take a dozen curse breakers a week to break in and at least half would require medical aid.”

Harry walked back over to the group, “Sirius says you and your brothers can stay. If you would like to write to your brother, I can have a House Elf deliver it to him immediately. Sirius said he would also make Portkeys for your brothers that the same House Elf could deliver to them. The Portkeys would take them directly to Grimmauld Place. They would be limited to a small number of locations but they would be free from your father’s clutches. Sirius said he would also speak with Professor McGonagall, in her capacity as the Deputy Headmistress, and arrange it so that you could Floo from Hogwarts at the end of the year instead of taking the train.”

Theo didn’t know what to say. In the house of snakes, people didn’t do anything for each other without conditions, thought and a great deal of negotiations. And yet, Harry Potter had just taken care of his housing problem as well as offered to shelter his brothers despite having never met them. 

“Just accept it, Theo. Gryffindors don’t weigh every option imaginable before doing things.” Draco shrugged, “In most cases I would think that was crazy but with this group it works. They aren’t putting themselves in danger in any way despite not knowing your brothers or you well. Grimmauld Place is the home of the Head of House Black so your brothers are all but powerless there, even if they were trained at Durmstrang. Sirius and my mother live there year-round and the house will not allow anything to harm them and that doesn’t even take into account the House Elves, Kreacher is bloody terrifying.”

“Plus, Draco respects you,” Hermione said from her position beside Harry. “You were never at Draco’s side when he taunted us and tried to pick fights, you have no patience for Pansy and you keep your head down. You asked Fay to the ball and treated her well. In short, based on your actions we feel we can trust you without making you sign your life away.”

Fay smiled, and Longbottom nodded in agreement. 

“Write to your brother, Nott,” Neville said while holding out a quill and parchment. “Harry would prefer we get your brothers under our protection as soon as possible.”

Theo took the proffered items slowly, “I don’t know what to say.”

“I think ‘Thank you’ would suffice, Mister Nott.” Professor Snape raised an eyebrow, “Mister Longbottom is correct, the sooner you write to your eldest brother, the better.”

“Thank you,” Theo said with obvious gratitude, “Thank you all.”

**A Country Manor House**

Voldemort sat in a grand, conjured chair and stared down at the bowing simpleton with apparent disinterest. 

After Nott’s eldest sons left, he had thought on his options and, like any intelligent Lord interested in ruling a nation, had decided to make contingency plans. He would not be placing much faith on the young men he had met only that morning. He had sent Nott to do some research in the manor’s library, research he had already done, and had called upon one of his other followers. 

The ring Nott had used to resurrect him was the second Horcrux he had created and so held one of the larger pieces of his soul; it also held one of the smallest knowledge bases on his minions. As such, he had done a great deal of research from notes he kept, copied and hidden with the most trusted of his followers, in those notes he had written detailed descriptions of his followers, their capabilities and their failings. Cross referencing with news he narrowed down his list of useful free followers; that led him to Aldridge Crabbe.

He could only vaguely remember Crabbe from school; if he was not mistaken the man had been a first year when he was Head Boy, but he remembered a rather dull child with minimal intelligence. If his memory was correct, it seemed the man did not improve with age and education. The one redeeming piece of information was that the Crabbe family had a partnership with Heughs Greenhouses. The Heughs family was all but gone due to lack of sons so was led by a distant cousin but the Crabbe family was in charge of the actual physical portion of the work. Heughs Greenhouses was known for high quality, rare ingredients.

He would have to have a discussion with Nott as to why he did not think of this option.

“Raise your head, Aldridge Crabbe.” Voldemort fought to hide his revulsion at the clear blood lust and adulation on the man’s face. What did he expect? Did he think they were going to go on a killing spree for no reason at all? He did enjoy the bowing though. “You please your Lord for coming without delay.”

“I am yours to command, my Lord.”

“I have need of your services, Crabbe. Nott and his friend Malfoy made some dire mistakes so I have need of a more loyal follower.”

“Everything I have is yours, anything I can do, I will do.”

“Good, Crabbe, very good.” He shifted in his chair, “There is a potion I will begin brewing on the night of the full moon, and I must begin when the moonlight touches my cauldron. Nott was incapable of acquiring two rare ingredients that are imperative for this potion’s completion. Can you get these ingredients for me, Crabbe?”

With a flick of Voldemort’s wand, a slip of paper with two ingredients appeared in Crabbe’s hand. The simple man glanced at the list, “I can, easily. Would you like cuttings delivered at moonrise or the plants, my Lord?”

Voldemort smiled with an intense gleam in his eye, “The plants would be best, Crabbe.”

“Of course,” he nodded, “is there anything else you require?”

“That will do for today. You will return with the ingredients no later than 2:00 tomorrow afternoon; if you have done as you claim you can and have not displeased me, I will have more for you to do.”

**Hogwarts**

The sun was shining on a rare rain free day in Scotland during March. It was Friday, the day before the fourth task and Harry’s friends were trying to distract him from the impending challenge. The Gryffindors only had double potions on Friday mornings so had the afternoon free, as such they were taking advantage of the oddly sunny day by spending it on the grounds.

Lavender and Parvati were sitting under a tree by the lake looking at magazines Hermione got them from the muggle world, the two were obsessed with Vogue. Dean, with a little help from Seamus, was trying and failing to teach football to Ron. The youngest male Weasley found the rules ridiculous and plain boring; who would find a sport with one ball and no flying interesting? 

The remaining four were walking around the lake. Neville was enjoying the sun and would occasionally check the shallows of the lake for useful plants he could take cuttings from. Harry and Hermione were holding hands, loving the quiet. Fay was edgy, the full moon was only hours away and she was always restless during the day of the full moon. 

“I really hate this time of the month.”

Neville straightened from examining some seaweed like plant, “Is there anything we can do?”

She sighed, “No, the wolf is just closer to the surface and wants out, which in turn makes me edgy, because I know if someone says something stupid, I could and probably will, bite their heads off.”

“Don’t worry, Fay,” Hermione said with a smile, “People will just assume it is ‘that’ time of the month, if you do lose your temper. While it may be irritating to have two times of the month, it is easier for you to disguise wolf related temper, because you are a girl.”

“True, I guess. The only problem is, they are both happening at the same time this month, so I feel like I am an emotional explosion waiting to happen right now.”

Harry reached into a pocket and pulled out a bar of chocolate and held it out to her, “Would this help? Sirius said he always carried chocolate around for Remus, he said that it calmed the wolf.”

Hermione turned her face into his shoulder to smother a snort, “Harry, the chocolate is good for the female thing, Remus is just a chocoholic and a responsible Defense Master. Chocolate is good for countering the emotional effects of dark magic in a pinch, it has its own magic. I think Remus uses it a bit too liberally though.”

While she was talking, Fay pounced on the chocolate. “I’m going to eat this, thanks!”

Harry tilted his head, “So, that’s a girl thing and not a wolf thing?”

Both girls nodded, Neville shrugged.

“What time are you meeting Remus, Fay?”

The group started walking again, “Shortly actually,” she said glancing at her watch. “Pack leader Prakenski is supposed to be here with his son in about half an hour. They are arriving by Portkey at three. Ilya’s school mates are aware of what he is, and have been made aware that he is spending the night with the British pack tonight, and will be at the school officially tomorrow morning for the fourth task.”

Harry glanced at his own watch, “Should we head to the gates and welcome our guest?”

Hermione kissed Harry’s cheek, “Fantastic idea, love.” The group had made it back to their friends at this point, “Why don’t you go let the others know we are going to go speak Remus? Perhaps suggest they go in without us and we will meet them at dinner?”

Harry kissed her temple, “Be back in a minute.”

The three watched Harry talk to the other Gryffindors, Lavender and Parvati waved him off and dived back into their magazine, Ron grinned and took off for the castle, Seamus hot on his heels. Dean and Harry exchanged a few laughing words before the football aficionado followed the other two boys, kicking his ball in a steady dribble as he went.

Harry was shaking his head when he returned to Neville and the girls, “Ron thought he might be able to find the kitchens and get a snack, Seamus thought that was a smashing idea.”

“Not surprising, Harry,” Neville smirked, “Ron is nearly always thinking with his stomach.”

“I take it Lavender and Parvati were irritated you disturbed their intense study of muggle Paris fashions?” Hermione mused. Harry could only nod.

“Stop your talking,” Fay said with more enthusiasm than she had shown the entire day, “Moony awaits!”

…..

Remus smiled at the two Russians walking toward him. The Portkey had been a few minutes early and both Prakenski men had managed not to land on their faces, which was not that surprising considering what they were; no werewolf would ever allow the human it inhabited to fall flat on their faces.

“Welcome back to Scotland Pack Leader Prakenski, and welcome to Hogwarts Ilya Prakenski.” Remus smiled at the father and son pair. 

“Thank you for your hospitality Pack Leader Lupin, as you know this is my son Ilya.”

The young werewolf bowed slightly, “Thank you for allowing me, an adolescent werewolf, into your territory so that I may compete in the dueling competition and hopefully bring honor to my school. I would like to thank you further for allowing me to stay in your territory for the remainder of the school year and for allowing me to run with your pack, I am most grateful.”

Remus was about to reply but sensed something. He spun, casting a finite and bracing all at the same time. A disillusioned fourteen-year-old werewolf launched herself at her Alpha. Remus caught the enthusiastic girl and spun her to prevent himself from falling. “Hello, Faolan. You can come out Harry, Hermione and Neville.”

The werewolves heard laughing before three teens appeared just up the hill from them, “I told you he would know you were coming, Fay,” Harry said with a smile.

“And I told you he was in the middle of greeting our guests so you should show some decorum,” Hermione tried to sound stern but was having trouble holding back a laugh because of Remus’s face and Harry poking her in just the right spot to tickle her.

“Welcome to Hogwarts, Prakenskis,” Neville added with a smile for the Russians. “I am Neville Longbottom, Heir of House Longbottom and these are my friends, Harry Potter, Heir of House Potter and Hermione Granger, top student in our year and perhaps the smartest student in the school. Lastly, meet Fay Dunbar, who I am sure you have realized is pack.”

The other three fourth years looked at the generally quiet boy with a small amount of shock and question. Neville shrugged, “What? One of us had to prove that we actually knew what manners were.”

Ilya, snorted and stepped forward, extending his hand to Fay, the closest to him, “Hello, Miss Dunbar, I am Ilya.” His attention turned to Harry and Hermione, “I have heard great things about you, Heir Potter and wish I had been here to witness your performance in the first task. I have also heard that you and Miss Granger performed well at the second task.” He shifted his gaze to Neville, “Thank you, Heir Longbottom for the introductions, and again Pack Leader Lupin, thank you for allowing me to join you and your pack. I think I will enjoy running with your small family.”

“Apologies, Pack Leader Prakenski,” Remus started, “my students are heathens.”

Gavril laughed, “Please, Remus, I much prefer the greeting I received from the children than the stale dance we are forced to use because of protocol.”

Remus smiled, “I couldn’t agree more, let’s get Ilya’s things to his room on the Durmstrang ship, I believe Mister Krum is waiting for us. Once his things are sorted, I will give the two of you a basic tour of Hogwarts. Because sunset is around 6:30 today and dinner is most often just beginning at that time in the Great Hall, I thought we could eat at the house in Hogsmeade. Aria will be pleased to see you again, Gavril and most excited to meet your son.”

…..

Aria stood at the stove in the kitchen at the Wolf’s Den, her Hogsmeade home, making dinner that would hopefully be acceptable for their Russian guests. Remus told her he was going to invite Gavril and Ilya to dinner with them, Fay would be eating with them as well, to allow Ilya to get to know them a bit better before moonrise. Prime rib should be well liked by all considering their wolfish nature.

Narcissa had stopped by and was currently looking out the window, in the direction of Hogwarts despite the fact that she could not see the castle due to the bank of trees surrounding the house. The stoic woman seemed troubled. She had not said much, barely giving Aria a greeting when she arrived and had not said a word about the wedding, which had been her excuse for barging in. She also kept sighing.

Aria stirred her gravy and looked over her shoulder at the blonde, “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong or are you going to make me guess?”

Narcissa turned from the window, “There is nothing wrong, Aria.”

The redhead raised an eyebrow, “You do know I can smell when you are lying right?” When the older woman looked away Aria shook her head. “Alright, I’ll just work my way to what is wrong. I find it suspicious that you arrived after Severus left, just fifteen minutes after, making me wonder if you were watching the house; and when I say wonder I mean that I knew you were there because I could smell you because I have a super nose in the hours leading to the full moon even with that vile potion in the house mucking up the way things smell.” 

Narcissa turned back to the window, avoiding Aria’s gaze. “Now I have to wonder why you would be avoiding him, because when we talked last weekend, right after you left Severus, you were utterly blissful about the relationship and Severus is equally happy, though he hides it better.” Aria placed a spell on the ladle she was using to stir the gravy so it would keep slowly stirring to prevent clumping and walked toward her friend, pushing her curly hair away from her face. “Now, I believe I mentioned my super nose a moment ago,” Aria looked directly into Narcissa’s Silver eyes, “I can smell the change in you Narcissa, and I can also smell the fear. I don’t think you have anything to be afraid of, but you really need to hear that from him.”

The blonde swallowed, “What if…”

“No,” Aria cut in, “you need to talk to him. I know you love him and you also know what he would do for those he cared for. You should not be here avoiding talking about what is bothering you in my kitchen, you should be up at the castle having Severus badger you into talking.” Aria glanced toward the door, “Especially because Remus and my guests have just arrived and I don’t think you want all of them to know before he does.” Seeing Narcissa’s somewhat panicked look, Aria took her hand and led her to the back door. She opened it and basically pushed the woman out the door, “Go, talk to Severus and enjoy your evening. I will see you tomorrow at the tournament stands and you can tell me all about it.”

“I…”

“Go.”

Narcissa opened her mouth to say something else but changed her mind and instead made her way around the house and started toward Hogwarts.

Aria slowly closed the door; she could sense Remus walking toward her. He placed a hand on the small of her back and nuzzled her neck, something he did more often as the moon drew closer. “Hello, love,” he whispered in her ear. “I can smell Narcissa. Did she just leave? Am I correct in my assumption about her scent?”

She turned, rising as far as her toes would allow and wrapped her arms around him, placing a kiss on his nose then one on his lips. “Yes, she was here and yes you are correct, but she needs to talk to Severus so pretend you didn’t smell anything, alright?” 

Remus gave her a chaste kiss and nodded. “Aria, I am sure you remember Pack Leader Prakenski,” Aria nodded and shook the older Russian’s hand, “allow me to introduce his son, Ilya.”

Aria reached out and shook the young man’s hand, “Welcome, Ilya, I hope you enjoy your stay at Hogwarts.” She looked toward the stove, “Dinner should be ready so why don’t you all head into the dining room. Fay, could you please give me a hand?”

Remus raised an eyebrow at the suggestion but still led their guests from the room. When the men were out of earshot, Aria gave Fay a look, “You find that young man attractive.”

Fay blushed, “Aria, they might hear you!”

“You know as well as I do that I am not speaking loud enough to be heard from the dining room. Now, are you planning on getting to know this young man or are you going to just pine after him from a distance?”

“Theo and I just broke up.”

“He is a Werewolf and will understand you in a way that is difficult for regular wizards. I’m not saying it is impossible to have lasting relationships of that kind with normal wizards but it is much more difficult and from what I understand, the inner wolf tends to be much more fulfilled if your partner is also a wolf.”

“Are you trying to marry me off?”

Aria sighed, “No, little Faolan, I am just trying to point out that this might be an opportunity for you. I did not think I would ever have a lasting relationship, nor did I ever think I would be getting married and thinking about having children. When you met me, I was prepared to die within a year and now I plan to do everything in my power to live a long and happy life with that Werewolf in the other room. I don’t want you to suffer the same loneliness I did. If you don’t have a connection with him then by all means, let the initial attraction go, but if you do discover a connection with him, I would like you to give him a chance.”

Fay nodded slowly, “If we have a connection, and if he is also interested, I will explore this attraction. Now, aren’t we supposed to be finishing up dinner?”

Aria pulled Fay into a hug, making a mental note that the girl was taller than her now so calling her little was more than a little bazar. “Thank you, Fay.”

“No, thank you, Aria. Thank you for caring.”

…

Remus led their guests to the basement of the Hogsmeade house in preparation for moon rise. Lucas had arrived and was currently helping Aria gather the potions they would need, Fay had rushed right past them and walked into the room she used for transformations, shutting the door behind her. “My friend had this basement built specifically for the full moon. I am not entirely sure why he added so many rooms, because at the time, I was the only one who would be using this area but I am grateful because they came in handy. For the most part, we transform in the smaller rooms and then meet in this common room. We head out to the forest through one of the walls, it is actually a false wall that you can walk though as long as I deactivate the spells that solidify the wall before I change; again, I am unsure as to why he placed that particular feature in this room but it became necessary.” 

Aria stepped up beside him holding a tray with the potions they would need in the morning in order to function; none of them could afford to miss the fourth task of the tournament. “Remus and I use the largest room during the full moon and Fay uses the one next to that, as you can see. She was rather nervous during her first few months so tended to be calmer the closer she was to Remus. She didn’t want to be in the same room because of the necessity to not wear clothing but needed to be close.”

“Lucas uses the room on the far right, which is farthest from the tunnel.” The eighteen-year-old nodded, he too was holding a tray of potions, the Wolfsbane potions. “This was entirely his choice, he still doesn’t trust himself, which is not surprising due to the fact that he has only just reached the year mark on changes. You are free to use any other room, or to just face the change out here.”

Gavril looked to his son, “I believe we will either use the room on the far left, or if he chooses to change alone, we will use the two rooms that are farthest left.”

Remus nodded, “If you would like, go ahead and check them out the choice is yours. Lucas has the Wolfsbane potions so take one with you. Aria and I will store the other potions in a cabinet in our room, so that they are not destroyed.”

…

Gavril pulled his son into the far room and cast a spell to dampen sound so that they would not be overheard. “Talk.”

Ilya pondered whether or not to discuss his emotions with his father but considering his father would be returning to Russia tomorrow after the Fourth Task he decided to relent. “I find her attractive.”

“All of you?”

“Father I have never found someone who is not a wolf truly attractive, not in a way that would interest me at least.”

“That is the curse of being born tied to the moon, my son. As you know, born Werewolves are rare but it does run in families. Every individual born to your mother’s line has been born to the moon for over three hundred years. She and I have had many discussions on the differences of being born and being turned, the greatest in my opinion is relationships.” He searched his son's face, for exactly what he was feeling, “I can, and have, felt attraction toward witches that have no connection to the phases of the moon, but I still found relationships with other wolves to be much easier.”

“It is frustrating.”

“With your history, I am sure it is.”

“The younger female wolves in the pack aren’t interested in me, they are interested in what I will most likely be in the future; mating a future pack leader is desirable. I got tired of that, and tried to date at school, but could not find any real connection. A part of me was always very removed from the whole attempt at a relationship.”

“That is to be expected, and I am sorry, the young females of the pack have not yet grown enough to know that power is not the only thing that matters in a mate. Why does your attraction to the young wolf cause you distress?”

Ilya sighed, “She is new to her wolf.”

“This is true, but she has been trained by a powerful Alpha, one who has faced just as many moons as I have.”

Ilya frowned at his father, “How is that possible father? You were changed at twelve and this year will mark your thirty-first year as a wolf; I thought you were nearly a decade older than Pack Leader Lupin.”

“Pack Leader Lupin is eight years younger than I am and was changed at the age of four. We were actually changed on the same night, thirty-one years ago.”

“He was four but remains unregistered by the British ministry and has never had a slip?”

Gavril nodded, “From what I understand, his only issue in thirty years, was when a school friend wanted to have a bit of revenge against a rival and took a prank too far. The near miss was not of his making and the individual he would have attacked had another friend not stepped in, harbors no blame for Remus. I find his lack of blame obvious, as he brews Wolfsbane for this portion of the pack every month.” The father let that sink in, “If there is anyone who could lead a new wolf, to accept their wolf and the connection born wolves find instinctually, it is Remus Lupin. You know what wolves are like in the hours leading to the full moon, at every stage in their development; have you ever seen a turned wolf, who has had less than two years of transformations, this relaxed?”

Ilya shook his head, “No, I have not. The only wolves I have seen with that level of contentment, are born wolves and even then, they tend to be a bit more nervous.”

“Her level of acceptance reminds me of you when you were six or seven. You took to the wolf quickly when he made himself known to you on the first moon of your fifth birthyear, it appears that despite being turned, Fay has found a similar connection and I can almost guarantee it is because of the Alpha who adopted her.”

“If she is that connected then perhaps we should speak to Pack Leader Lupin about his methods of training new wolves. I get the impression he would be far more helpful than mother would be, to a born wolf, hell, he has faced more moons than mother has.”

“There is much you could learn here, Ilya. I want you to enjoy your time with your classmates, but I also want you to learn from Lupin. Great leaders do not just emulate the one they follow; they learn from every experience and adapt many styles until they find their own. Remus Lupin is perhaps the most impressive Alpha I have ever met; not because of his power, though it is impressive, but because of his compassion. He has made mistakes, like I have, but I think his pack will be the most connected in the world. As of this moment, he does not have much connection with the largest portion of the British wolves, but in time, I believe his honor and sense of responsibility will demand he take a greater interest into the lives of the larger pack.”

“I agree.”

Gavril nodded in satisfaction. “Learn, my son, and don’t ignore a possible attraction because the circumstances do not fit the norm. You are not required to follow in my shoes, there are many options open to you and if the Council is successful, then there will be many more in the years to come.”

“Perhaps I will see how my wolf takes to the wolves of this family.”

Gavril smiled, yes, his son was learning if he had already detected the difference between this small group of wolves and their own inner circle at home, these wolves were a family.

**Gryffindor Tower**

Harry and Hermione sat cuddled on a loveseat in front of the fire in Gryffindor Tower. The rest of the Lions were being rather respectful and leaving them alone, despite the growing excitement for the task that would take place in the morning. The twins had talked to most of the house, asking their fellow housemates to give Hermione the nights before the tasks to spend time with Harry. For each and every night before the task, the house of Lions had been united in giving their favorite fourth-year couple time. The only intruder into their little bubble was Rah, Harry’s every growing snake.

“Promise me you will be careful?”

“I always am, Hermione. You know I wanted nothing to do with this tournament and that my goal for the year is literally just to survive this.”

“I still worry and you know there is going to be some ridiculous twist to make the task more dangerous than it needs to be and you don’t know all the spells that you need to know because you are a fourth year and a lot of what you will face you don’t even study until sixth year which puts you at a greater disadvantage and…”

“Breathe, Hermione,” Harry said with a smile. “We have been studying every magical creature we could think of, and Severus and Remus have been teaching us some intense battle magics. Sirius has even shown us some extremely useful spells he calls pranks, that I think could be quite helpful in other situations. Narcissa gifted me with amazing dragon leather armor.”

Rah hissed and Harry nodded, “Rah would like to remind you, that I have had a few more sessions with Ahsan, so my Parselmagic has improved, which has in turn improved my stamina.” Harry switched to Parseltongue, _“And while I would love to take you with me, the judges say if I do so again, I will receive harsh punishments as they consider your assistance cheating.”_

_“And they think the biased headmaster isn’t cheating for his champion?”_

Harry shrugged _, “Everyone is aware but he manages to talk his way out of it with something somewhat reasonable every time.”_

Hermione raised an eyebrow, “Just reminding Rah, that the judges won’t allow me to take him with me. He said he would protect me during the task.”

The brunette stroked a hand down the snake’s head, “Thank you for offering to protect him, Rah, you and I both wish we could be there for him.” Rah nodded and then let his head fall to the back of the couch to bask in the heat of the fire, even though they had some sunny days, nights were still cold in Scotland, particularly in drafty castles. 

Harry pulled Hermione closer and kissed her temple, “Tell me about Narcissa’s dress search extravaganza.”

“But, Harry…”

“No, enough worrying. I want to know what you are going to get up to over the Easter Holiday. Where is Narcissa planning to search for Aria’s dress? Are you going to be searching for bride’s maid dresses too? What about shoes? Will they match the dress colors? Will you be tasting cake?”

Hermione shook her head with a smile, “Cake tasting is for the bride and groom, not the bride’s maids. Aria said that Narcissa has appointments at a few exclusive shops in muggle London for that Saturday and Sunday; we have to be careful because the full moon is that Saturday night. One of the appointments is just for bride’s maid dresses, it is a larger shop that caters to the whole bridal party whereas the other shops are geared toward the bride. I don’t know about shoes. We will probably decide on those after we choose the dresses.”

“Do you know what color she is thinking for your dress?”

“Do you really want to know?” Harry nodded, “Her colors are pastels, mostly lavender and mint green; from what Narcissa and Aria were saying she will choose which dress color depending on the shades and what looks best on us collectively.” She frowned at him, “You can’t honestly find this interesting.”

Harry shrugged, “Okay, you’re right, I am really not interested but I don’t want to think about the tournament, or Voldemort. I’d also like to avoid talking about school, if at all possible.”

“Why don’t we talk about plans for summer?” she said with a hopeful expression. “If we start making plans, you will have more incentive to do well in the tournament.”

Harry chuckled, “I don’t need plans to give me incentive, but I would love to make summer plans with you. What do you have in mind?”

Hermione pushed off of Harry and turned to face him, “My parents always go to the continent for at least a week every summer, last year we went to the French coast, mother wrote to me and they want to go to Italy this year. She and father want to do two weeks in Italy, spending the majority of the time in Rome and Venice but taking a day trip to Pompeii, and a weekend on the Amalfi coast. They may even stay longer, as there is just ever so much to see and there are also some interesting wizarding sites all over Italy that would be so amazing, and I would just love to see them. Mother said that I could invite two, possibly three friends; I think she said this so I wouldn’t just invite my boyfriend.” She took a deep breath, “The Coliseum, Notre Dame, the Forum, the Pantheon, the canals; so much history, art, architecture!”

When she opened her mouth to say more Harry kissed her. “Why don’t I talk to Sirius and Narcissa? I can see if they think it would be a good vacation, from a wizarding standpoint, that way, if they choose to schedule something, your parents don’t have to worry about you just inviting your boyfriend and we don’t have to leave anyone out. We can even have days where it is just for family or date days.”

“Oh, Harry, that would be perfect. I am sure Aunt Cissa would know all of the best magical sights in Italy! She probably knows the best magical sights all over Europe. Why didn’t I think of that?” 

Her smile started to fall as Harry shook his head.

“No, none of that. We can’t put our lives on hold because some dark tosser refuses to stay dead. If I stopped planning for the future, stopped having fun, I wouldn’t have asked you to be my girlfriend. I wouldn’t be considering careers for the future. I wouldn’t even allow myself to dream about being the best husband and father in the world.” He let that sink in, “I am afraid of what Voldemort might do, if he does regain his power and sheep rally under his banner, but I can’t let that paralyze me. My friends and family won’t let me dwell on the worst-case scenario, you won’t let me, so what makes you think I am going to let you stop planning?”

Hermione kissed Harry gently, but with so much emotion. “I love you, Harry Potter.”

“And I love you, Hermione Granger.”

**Hogwarts Dungeons**

Narcissa paced, worry churning in her belly. Her life had changed so much in the time since Sirius’s release from his unlawful imprisonment. She was no longer married to a man she did not love and did not respect. She was not a prisoner in her own home. Her son was free to become a functioning member of society, instead of the whiny brat his father was molding. She had friends she could stand, instead of the wives of her husband’s friends that bored her to tears. 

Sirius’s release had allowed her to gain independence. She wasn’t just running the House Elf staff and throwing parties anymore. Now she had a hand in making their society better. Sirius was the face and she was the strategist. Together they were changing minds and creating a world that their children could survive in without fear of reprisal for being who they were. She was creating a world of acceptance, so that no child would have to live the life she had lived.

Now it seemed that everything was changing, and part of her was utterly terrified.

Severus had been her only true friend for years. The younger man was her former husband’s only intelligent friend, or acquaintance without sociopathic tendencies, and was the only one who took the time to speak to her with anything resembling respect. They had formed a bond over the years because of, or perhaps in spite of, Lucius Malfoy. Severus had started to change their relationship when Lucius was out of her life. Narcissa had originally thought he stayed for Draco, but now she knew he stayed for both of them. She wasn’t sure when it happened, but she had fallen in love with the reserved man. 

The blond stopped in her pacing and glanced at the mirror positioned on the wall near the door of Severus’s private quarters. He kept mirrors next to the doors of all of his private areas because of his tendency to brew at odd hours. He wore black to hide staining but he could not hide any staining on his face. The mirrors allowed him to check himself so that he did not present a disheveled appearance to anyone.

There was nothing amiss in her appearance, except perhaps the worry lines around her eyes. “By the goddess, I don’t think I can do this right now.” She turned from the mirror and resumed her pacing, her arms wrapped tightly around her middle. “I can’t believe I actually understand Remus’s misgivings about his relationship with Aria.”

“And what misgivings do you now understand?”

Narcissa whirled and found Severus standing just inside the door, a concerned look in his eyes. She glanced down, saw her arms warped around her stomach and unfolded them, letting them fall to her side. “I am too old for you.”

Severus chuckled under his breath, “Five years at our age is nothing, Narcissa. Not to mention if you asked any of the students, they would think I was older than you were; you aged far better than I did.”

“I am nearly forty.”

“And I just turned thirty-five.”

“Lord, you are stubborn.”

“I’m a Slytherin, just like you are, I believe stubbornness is the unspoken trait we all must possess. Why are you trying to talk me out of being with you?”

“I’m not, I’m just…”

Severus pushed away from the wall he had been leaning against. “Why do your eyes look troubled?” He took one of her hands and cupped her cheek with his other hand. “You look tired and pale.”

“You could have so much better than me.”

“That isn’t true and you know it. Not only does my reputation stand against me, but there is no better than you. You and I both know that I could never be with anyone who wasn’t as strong and intelligent as you are. I am a hard man to be around and I need someone to balance me. When I get bored, I leave; there have been very few people in my life intelligent enough to keep my interest, and none of them can spar with me as well as you do.”

“Because I am not afraid of you or your foul temper.”

He laughed again, “What hope do I have of finding someone else as unaffected by my horrid attitude?”

She tried to look away but he held her face in place, “Very little.”

“What is wrong, Narcissa?”

“I…” she closed her mouth and took a deep breath. “I am too old for this.”

“Too old for what?”

She closed her eyes and subconsciously placed her palms against her flat stomach. “I’m too old to have a baby! My son is almost fifteen, I’m not married and I haven’t managed to fix the blasted government. Hogwarts is better but not perfect and Riddle is either back or partially back or both at the same time. This is not the time for this and I don’t know if I can do this again. What if something happens to me and I lose her again? What if he takes over? What if…”

Severus had been shocked when she said the word ‘baby’, which is why she had the opportunity to say all she did. Had it not shocked him as it did, he would have said something sooner. Now, his only option was to make it so she couldn’t talk. He grabbed the hand she was waving around in her panic, pulled her to him, and kissed her. 

“Narcissa Black,” he started when he released her lips and pulled her into a tight hug, burrowing her face into his neck. “You are not too old; you are perfect and you are healthier and happier then you have been in years.” Despite his shock, he had kept up with her reasons against the pregnancy. “Draco is more mature now than he was, despite being a teenager, so this is perhaps the best time for him to be a big brother and I think he would love the idea. The government has improved and will keep improving because of you, Sirius and your other allies; you aren’t the face of the movement, so I don’t think having a baby will change how you can help. We don’t have to worry about Hogwarts for a dozen years, so forget that one for now. I am not sure what state Riddle is in at the moment, but you are generally in some of the safest places in the world, not to mention you are a formidable duelist. Nothing will happen to you because I won’t let anyone near you. You lost your daughter due to the Cruciatus curse, people who would even think of casting that at you will not be allowed near you. I will die before Riddle rules us and I don’t think it is possible, because we have decimated his minions, and made it extremely undesirable to even consider the option.” 

He pulled her back slightly and reached into one of his many pockets, “As for you not being married; I have loved you for longer than is wise to admit and wished you were my wife, instead of the wife of a man I considered my friend. When you divorced him, I went out and bought a ring in the hopes that one day you would accept it and accept me, which I am more than a little ashamed to admit, because it makes me sound like a bleeding Hufflepuff. I have had it since the day I knew you were free.” He opened the small box in his hand and presented it to her, “Will you marry me, Narcissa?”

The blond woman blinked at him then looked down at the ring still in the box. It was beautiful. The ring wasn’t extravagant, in fact it was fairly simple but it was still stunning. It was nothing like the ring Lucius had given her which made it that much better. It probably cost an eighth of what her previous engagement ring had cost but she didn’t care. The ring in her hand was more her than anything Lucius had ever given her. Classic, simple and elegant is how she would describe her style and that is just how she would describe the ring. “You bought that the day you heard about my divorce?”

“I did.”

“You actually want to marry me for me, and not just because I am pregnant?”

“I want you, Narcissa. I love you. I won’t lie and say that I don’t want a family with you, because I do, but I would have been fine without this baby,” he placed a hand against her stomach, “but now that I know there is a baby, I already love it and I need you both in my life to be happy.”

“I love you, Severus Snape.” She rose up on her toes and kissed him softly, “I would like nothing more than to marry you and have a family with you.”

Severus slipped the ring onto her finger and pulled her in for another deep kiss. “I want you all to myself tonight. We can tell Draco and the rest of them tomorrow.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

**Hogwarts Grounds – Tournament Arena**

When the cannon sounded, Harry Potter found himself standing in the middle of a swamp. The designers of the task were nice enough to place him, and he supposed the other contestants, on a rather solid feeling island.

In the center of the island, as Bagman had said, there was a stone table with runes carved into it and indentations in the tops that would hold four puzzle pieces. The purpose of the task was to find each of the puzzle pieces, locked inside boxes that were hidden in the four corners of the arena. Also hidden in those four corners were the keys to unlock the boxes and therefore free the pieces of the puzzle. Once all the boxes and keys were found, he had to return to the center and place each puzzle piece in the corresponding indentation, doing so would unlock a hidden compartment that held the clue to their next task.

Bagman had made a point to clarify that, though he said the boxes and keys were hidden in the four corners, the arena was not square and the hiding places were not equidistant. To make things more challenging, there would be obstacles around the arena and specific ones designed to deter the champions in their search for the boxes and keys. Each contestant competed alone. They went in order of their standings; Viktor was in first, so was the first to attempt the task, then Cedric and now it was Harry’s turn; Fleur would get her chance after Harry. There was a time limit of thirty minutes. By Harry’s calculation, Viktor reached that time limit, while Cedric finished a little early though he couldn’t be sure, Harry wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

Now, it was his turn.

The fourteen-year-old took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders, liking the feel of the dragon hide armor Narcissa and Sirius had gifted him, and insisted he wear during every task; he wasn’t complaining in the slightest. He was running through the various magical, and mundane creatures he knew would be in a swamp and was hoping thought was put into the choices. There were certain things that would not be smart to put in a swamp with teenagers around, but with the fact that they had already faced dragons, he could see them putting in an alligator for the ‘entertainment’ factor. More likely, were Redcaps and hinkypunks. Then there were the dangerous plants; Devil’s Snare anyone? There were snakes native to swamps, but would they give Harry an advantage like that? Would the creatures and plants actually be native to swamps or would they pull in other creatures for variety?

There were too many variables to plan fully and those thoughts had been running through his head since Bagman had explained it to them. It was time to stop guessing and start competing. 

Harry turned and examined the table and then noticed a single rune carved into the center of each indentation, if he wasn’t mistaken, they were representations of the four elements in Ogham.

He turned, “Point me, Air Key.” His wand spun around in one full rotation before swinging and stopping to Harry’s left. He smiled; this was a turn in his favor.

Harry made his way somewhat carefully while following the direction his wand had pointed. It was dark, so he had canceled the pointing spell and cast a Lumos. For safety, he was attempting to avoid walking through the swamp waters so he was keeping to the shallows, close to the small islands that dotted throughout or jumping from rock to rock or the occasional log. 

A light to his right had him stopping, but when he looked there was nothing there. “It’s just hinkypunks,” he whispered to himself. “They lure people off their path to get them lost. Their lights draw people like moths to the flame, do not pay any attention to random lights in the swamp.”

A twig breaking was his only warning.

Harry spun and immediately dove to the side upon finding a bone wielding Redcap charging at him. The teenager rolled and managed to come up on his knees, wand pointing at the angry creature, “Expelliarmus,” he said under his breath. The sharpened bone flew from the Redcaps hands and landed somewhere in the muck. With a snarl, the creature turned and ran back into the sparse underbrush, presumably to find his friends or another weapon.

Sighing, Harry got to his feet, recast the point me, to check his bearings and then once again made his way toward the first box and key. 

…..

Luna patted Hermione on the shoulder, “He is going to be fine, Hermione Granger.”

“Kappa can be very dangerous Luna, and don’t get me started on the Quintaped. And what was with that Redcap, did it seem more vicious to you?”

“Hermione,” Neville squeezed her hand as she had commandeered his when Harry’s turn began, “You know Harry has great instincts when it comes to danger. We covered Redcaps and Kappa in third year, as well as a few other things he is bound to face, all taught by a good teacher.” Neville nodded toward Professor Lupin who was two rows back with the rest of their adult family. “He will figure out what to do.”

“But both Viktor and Cedric struggled against the Quintaped. Cedric only just managed to get past it and didn’t make it back to the puzzle. Viktor had issues with the Kappa, he so angered it that it swallowed the key it was hiding and he only had slightly better luck with the Quintaped. Neither completed the task. What hope does Harry have if both of them struggled?”

“Because the tournament designers are crazy to put one in there,” Draco said from the seat behind the panicking Gryffindor. “But Harry has an ace in this task.”

“Only if he goes there first.”

“He will,” Luna said with a faraway look. “I can tell.”

Fay leaned over from her spot beside Draco, who she had been using as a pillow during the first two contestants’ attempts, “Watch now, freak out when something happens. He is getting close to a key and if I remember correctly that is the weird plant thing. Let’s see if he was paying attention to Neville, shall we?”

….

Harry smelled it before he saw it. Skunk cabbage was well known in both the magical and muggle worlds, almost entirely because of its smell. What most did not know, is that there was a magical subspecies of skunk cabbage that was exceptionally dangerous. The magical species looked identical in every way, the only difference was a slight change in smell; if you focused, you could smell a hint of methane. The gas produced by the magical skunk plume had two major components. First was that the gas was highly combustible, Harry was lucky he had chosen a Lumos instead of fire for sight. Most importantly, the gas caused disorientation and hallucinations. 

Quickly, Harry pulled his undershirt up to cover his nose and mouth, in hopes of lessening the gases effect on his senses. 

“Point me, Air Key,” Harry mumbled through his shirt and followed each and every shift in the wand until he found himself in the highest concentration of gaseous skunk plumes. “Of course, it’s in the worst place to breathe.”

Looking around quickly, Harry tucked his wand back in his holster and searched the skunk cabbage for the key. It didn’t take long, but he found it concerning that the flowering portions of the plant started to talk to him. 

“Harry Potter is going to die.” The closest flower said in a singsong voice.

“Pickles are delicious.” Another said a moment later.

A third spoke to his left, “Sirius stole my underwear.”

“I am going crazy,” Harry said, as his hand closed over a key with the Ogham symbol for Air. He straightened quickly, attempting to get farther away from the gas producing flowers. Glancing around, he noticed another thick patch of skunk cabbage around the base of a ragged looking tree.

“Cumquat!”

Harry shook his head to try to clear it. He needed to get out of here. 

As he stumbled to the tree surrounded by more crazy flowers, he noticed something just out of his reach in the tree. 

“I love Tom Riddle.” A disturbing flower giggled.

“I think he should just die already.” A flower with Hermione’s voice said. 

“Can I borrow Rah?” Draco flower asked.

“Accio box,” Harry said pointing his wand at the object in the tree, hoping that the spell would work and that the box was in fact what he saw.

“CANNONS RULE!”

“Shut up, Ron,” Harry said as a box flew into his left hand. “Now, why did I want this and what am I doing here?” He looked down at the box and saw the Ogham symbol for fire inlaid on the top. “Fire,” he reached into his pocket, “Air. I need to find the others.” He shook his head, shoved the key and box into various pockets of his robe. “Point me, Fire Key.”

Harry quickly made his way to the second key, he realized he had wasted far too much time on the first key and box due to being overly cautious and because of the gas. He ran, as fast as he could, through the shallow water, climbing over logs and boulders as they appeared in his path. His eyes were also much more used to the low light, so he did not recast the Lumos spell but instead, just followed his wand to the next key. 

He burst out of some prickly bushes he could not remember the name of, and found himself face to face with an irritated horned serpent. She was a large snake, as tall as Harry, leading him to believe she was also very old. Harry heard a hum of music, an indication that danger was ahead so he instantly bowed, keeping eye contact the whole time.

 _“Apologies, Great Lady,”_ Harry said. _“My name is Harry potter and I mean you no harm. I am in the middle of a competition and am searching for keys and boxes. Magic indicated that a key was in this direction and that is all I am after.”_

_“Greetings, Speaker. I am Isis and I am the guardian for that which you seek.”_

_“I am honored to meet you, Isis. What can I offer you in exchange for the key, and any knowledge you have pertaining to the location of the box in the area?”_

She seemed to smile, _“Is it you, who instructed the other two-legged creatures that have approached me? They showed respect for the chosen.”_

Harry nodded, _“My competitors know I speak the true language, so asked me for advice in preparation for any encounters with one such as yourself.”_

_“They did well. Both bowed and explained their purpose. Not once did they act as though they thought I would not understand them.”_

_“They learned from my serpent brother, Rah, that the chosen understand human tongues.”_

_“You honor your brethren with your teachings. For this I will aid you.”_ She uncoiled and somehow lifted the key with her tail and presented it to Harry. _“The box you seek is hidden within the exposed roots of that tree.”_

_“Thank you, Isis. I must leave you now, I have more than half the task to complete and less than half the time allotted to complete it.”_

She regarded him for a moment, _“I will aid you for a promise.”_

_“As long as this promise does not cause harm to anyone, you have it.”_

_“I wish you no harm. My companion rarely gets to speak with other speakers, and she would enjoy trading experiences with you.”_ Knowing he would agree, she continued without waiting for a response, _“Come, I can sense the magic that created the key, that’s connected to that box.”_

Harry and Isis made even better time than Harry had made during his trip to the Fire Key. Isis had guarded the water box and they were exceptionally close to the Water Key. She sliced through the water, scaring any living obstacle away with her aura alone; powerful creatures did that without even thinking about it. 

They saw the Kappa from a distance. There was little vegetation for it to hide behind and it seemed to want others to know it was there. In its monkey like, scaled and webbed hand it held the Water Key. It flipped the key absentmindedly into the air, as it glanced their way; Harry wasn’t sure if it was bored or agitated. 

_“You will give the key to the Speaker, water vampire.”_

The Kappa snarled in reply and brought the key to its mouth.

_“If you eat that key, you will not breathe for much longer. I haven’t eaten today, and though I don’t particularly like digesting scales, I would make an exception for you.”_

Once again, it snarled but removed the key from the vicinity of its mouth. It glanced at the great snake and then down at the key. With a glaring grin it threw the key into the swampy water before flying into the water on the other side of its island, Isis lunged for it as it dove into the muck.

 _“COWARD!”_ Isis hissed.

Harry had watched the key as it flew through the air and had quickly made his way to the spot it entered the water. One thing the tournament designers had done was keep the water relatively shallow. This made it so that most of the water was at knee level or lower, it also meant that there were no alligators, as he would be able to see something that big easily. Of course, there were a few places that were deeper, he had tripped into one that was shoulder deep while following Isis; he suspected that the Kappa had dove into a second such deep spot.

 _“Got it,”_ he held the key in the air, _“Can you sense the box?”_

Isis looked around, flicking her tongue to taste the air, searching for the box. She slithered to a lump of mud and brushed it with her tail, dislodging the box.

 _“Thank you,”_ Harry lifted the box and saw what he expected, the Ogham earth symbol. _“Can you sense the last key? If not, I can use magic to direct me.”_

 _“I can find it, I fear that one is guarded by great danger and I will not have you hurt before you have spoken to my companion.”_ She tilted her head, _“It is this way.”_

Harry swore viciously upon seeing the Quintaped standing on the island. There were worse XXXXX classified creatures, Dragons, Nundu, Basilisks and the like, but none of those had the same innate dislike and aggression toward humans that Quintaped did. Quintaped were five legged, furry creatures with large mouths, jagged teeth and walked like crabs. They were deceptively fast. There was a reason they were confined on an Unplottable island!

_“It is standing over the key, isn’t it?”_

_“The beast does indeed stand over your goal. I will attempt to distract it.”_

_“No, I have an idea. If that doesn’t work, then by all means, distract it and kill it if you must.”_

She nodded and Harry pointed his wand at his opponent, “I hope this works, Flipendo!” Harry’s aim was true and the spell hit the Quintaped head on and blasted the creature up and over, landing it on its back. He didn’t wait to see what happened next. Harry dashed to where the key lay on the ground and scooped it up, instantly slipping it into one of his pockets.

_“Ideas on the box?”_

_“Far side of the island, near the rocks. You have angered the beast even more, Harry Potter Speaker. It did not like being on its back and unfortunately its legs are actually useful. I may have to kill it and that may anger the humans who transported it.”_

“Accio Air Box!” The box flew at him, “I don’t know why that works in this task but I am grateful. _Let’s get out of here, Isis!”_

_“He is not letting me leave.”_

Harry turned to see the Quintaped running around and jumping over Isis so that it was always blocking her path. Harry focused, _“Bindings of the chosen, restrict my enemy! ”_ As they had on two separate occasions, snakes flew from his wand and latched onto his attacker. Much like with the werewolf, the snakes then dove both head and tail into the ground, chaining the Quintaped to the earth.

_“You are advanced for one so young, Harry Potter.”_

The two made their way to the island in the center of the arena, where the table awaited. Harry started to run when he saw the ending point, by his calculation, he did not have much time left. What he did not notice was the hoard of Redcaps. 

Harry slid to a stop at the table, his hands diving into his pockets removing boxes when fifteen Redcaps, all wielding sharpened bone weapons, jumped from hiding places around the small island. He whirled, jumping back and boosting himself onto the edge of the stone table, narrowly missing getting stabbed. Isis hissed in anger and dove, teeth first at the nearest Redcap, her tail sweeping three off their feet and into the water. 

Harry flicked his wand at the nearest bone wielding attackers, silently sending them flying back with stunners. _“ Brethren, guard me,”_ four snakes shot from his wand and stood guard on the ground around the table leaving Harry free to open the boxes and complete the puzzle. He placed each of the four pieces into the corresponding indentation and felt the table vibrate.

Isis launched the last Redcap from the island as the table top dropped down and split down the middle, each half slid into the side of the table, revealing a storage space below. Harry reached down inside, placing his hands around the sides of the box within. 

His Portkey activated, indicating the end of time, transporting Harry and the box from the arena.

…..

“Wasn’t that exciting!” Bagman said in his most enthusiastic voice. “Sorry for the delay in receiving the scores, the judges were reviewing and discussing but we have reached a conclusion. Let’s bring the contestants out, shall we!”

The four Champions marched onto the raised stage in the middle of the arena, somehow, they had managed to dismantle the competition grounds within a few minutes. 

Fleur was in the worst shape of the four competitors. She was doing fine at first. The Kappa she tricked, and she showed respect to Isis, taking Harry’s warnings to heart, her problem came when she encountered the gaseous plants. Because Harry had such good luck using his rare gift despite prejudice, she decided to use her own unique heritage to aid her. She had not had the chance in the previous two competitions, one due to the fact that it was under water, and the other she chose not to use it as logic was the key, not magical prowess. 

To free up her wand, she chose to use Veela magic to light her way in the form of a fireball. She did not smell the gas produced by the skunk cabbage before it was too late. Fleur quite literally blew herself up.

“Coming in fourth for this task, with a combined score of twenty-two is Fleur Delacour. Miss Delacour did not finish the task, she managed to collect the key and boxes guarded by the Horned Serpent, and the Kappa. Through some bad luck, she ignited the gas produced by the magical breed of skunk cabbage and had to be immediately transported to the hospital tent due to the injuries she suffered because of the explosion. As you can see, Miss Delacour is alright and Madam Pomfrey says there will be no scarring, as long as she follows the potions regimen the healer laid out for her.”

“Bagman,” Crouch growled. 

“Right, the scoring.” Bagman grinned, “We are glad you will be fine, Miss Delacour. Miss Delacour was given fours by Karkaroff, Dumbledore and Crouch, Madam Maxime and I gave her fives due to getting half the items required.” There was some light applause. “Coming in third in this event is Mister Krum. Viktor Krum will receive thirty-four points. He did not finish the contest. He found all boxes but was unable to obtain all four keys due to his trouble with the Kappa. He did not return to the center island with what he did acquire as time ran out while he was attempting to bribe the Kappa to spit the key out. Mister Krum was given a five by Crouch, a six by Madam Maxim, sevens by Dumbledore and myself and of course Karkaroff shows his bias by giving mister Krum a nine.

“Cedric Diggory will come in second place in this event. Mister Diggory found all keys but did not manage to find the final box as he had considerable trouble with the Quintaped. Mister Diggory had the least trouble of any contestant with the effects of skunk cabbage and conjured a pickle with a random name on it to appease the Kappa. He was mildly injured by some razor vines while traveling from corner to corner. He will receive thirty-five. Karkaroff and crouch gave sixes, Madam Maxim a seven and Dumbledore and I gave Mister Diggory eights.”

Bagman frowned, “Is it just me or is the scoring much harsher this round?” He chuckled, “And finally, Mister Potter will place first. Mister Potter managed to find all the keys and boxes; he also managed to complete the puzzle and get his hands around the box inside the stone table enough to take it with him when the Portkey activated. Hogwarts students appear to be well versed in Herbology as Mister Potter dealt well with the effects of the skunk cabbage. In a strange twist, tournament designers decided to keep the Horned Serpent as a guardian despite the obvious advantage this would give Mister Potter, not that I mind, he is only fourteen so deserves some advantage. He had a lengthy conversation with the snake and apparently, she decided to help him out. 

“On a side note, I think the other champions took lessons from Potter on how to deal with snakes as all of them faced her without being injured or casting a spell. His biggest problem was actually a pack of Redcaps who took apparent offense to his presence as they followed him around and attacked in force. Mister Potter’s final score will be forty-four. Mister Karkaroff gave a six, really now, a six? He actually completed the task.”

“He had an unfair advantage. The snake did most of the work.”

“Whatever,” Bagman said with what must have been an eyeroll. “Crouch and Maxim gave Mister Potter nines while Dumbledore and I gave him tens. I gave him a ten because he finished and is uninjured in case you are wondering; I assume Headmaster Dumbledore has scored him with a ten for the same reasons.” 

He glared at Karkaroff, and then turned his attention back to the crowd “In case you weren’t doing the math, with these points added the standings do not change. The only difference is that there is a four-point difference between first, second and third place, Mister Krum’s total is now 158 points, Diggory has 157, Mister Potter 154 and Miss Delacour is in fourth with 131 points.” 

Crouch stepped forward, “The next task will be on the fourth Saturday of April, due to the Easter Holiday landing on the Third Sunday. Firebolt will be at the castle on April first, they will be speaking with the teams about their products and have decided to take a page out of Mister Potter’s book and auction off equipment and donate the proceeds to Evan’s House. There will also be a Spring dance, a more casual affair than the Yule Ball, that evening.” He turned his attention to the champions. “Mister Potter was the only champion to finish the task and as such the only one to find the hidden chest. Inside the chest is a clue for the next task, there is nothing we will be sharing with you about that task. Good luck.” Crouch turned and left the tournament grounds with a lick of his lips and a scowl, ignoring the other judges in the process.

Harry glanced down at the chest he had placed at his feet and then at the other three champions. He crouched and slowly lifted the lid. Inside was a feather and a twig…


	34. Do A Little Dance

**Gryffindor Common Room**

Hermione Granger was on a roll. She had allowed the after party to happen last night, despite the fact that her boyfriend hated those parties, so that her house could let loose. That morning however, was another story.

Most of the Gryffindors had not returned from breakfast, sensing Hermione’s impending explosion, and those who had returned fled soon after the lecturing tirade began. Harry, Neville, Fay and the twins sat around the common room, listening and commenting when necessary so that the distraught and frustrated girl knew she was heard. In all honesty, it was very easy to agree with her rant because she was right about everything. The tournament was crazy and the organizers crazier.

“And who in their right mind brings a Quintaped to face students? Don’t the organizers know that those creatures have an innate hatred of wizards? Do they want to kill you? Of course, I shouldn’t be surprised; these are the same people who thought it an intelligent and reasonable thing to pit students against fully grown dragons.” She whirled, “And another thing, they are lucky the Horned Serpent was reasonable. That particular breed of snake was hunted into extinction here in Europe due to their value as potions ingredients! I’m sure wand crafters didn’t help either because crushed horn can be used as a wand core. That snake had every right to kill each and every one of you to avenge her fallen serpent brethren.”

“Isis was actually quite nice,” Harry tried, “she was impressed that respect was shown to the true children. The only snakes that would hurt a speaker are ones following the orders of another speaker, or a snake that had been tortured into insanity like the Basilisk. Not that I tried to talk to it or anything - I honestly don’t remember if she said a word down in the chamber. All I remember hearing was that strange hissing roar of hers.”

“But without you informing your competitors of the need to show respect things would not have ended so pleasantly. At worst, the world would have lost another Horned Serpent, this one is very old and wise, which would have been a tragedy. More likely, there would have been injuries and someone would have demanded the death of the snake because of those injuries.”

“I don’t think they could have done that considering this is a tournament and it is highly likely people will get hurt considering their choices in tasks,” Neville added. “And while I agree it would have been a tragedy to have Isis die, I think it would have been worse if a contestant died, someone would have killed Isis if that happened, so the death of a contestant and Isis is the worst-case scenario.”

“Wizards are contrary, Neville,” Hermione insisted.

“They wouldn’t have been allowed to call for Isis’ death because she was loaned for the tournament by the American Ministry and members of their naturalist staff were on hand at all times. Dalilah would have fought off armies to get to Isis.” Delilah was Isis’s Parselmouth companion and Harry had quite enjoyed their conversation after meeting with her and Isis after the task. “I agree if one of my competitors died it would have been worse for Isis. That was the reason Delilah was so pleased with the champions yesterday. She was reluctant to allow Isis to do this because of the British ministries reputation when it comes to magical creatures.” 

“How did things go with you and Dalilah?” George wondered.

Hermione paused in her pacing with an interested look. Seeing as she stopped right in front of Harry, he took the opportunity to pull her down into his lap and wrap his arms around her; hopefully that would calm her.

“They want me to come visit,” Harry smiled. “Dalilah offered to teach me some more about Parselmagic, stating that there were different techniques and practices depending on where a wizard is from. Isis would like to introduce me to her hatchlings, and if he behaves, her current breeding partner.” Harry chuckled, “Apparently her current partner is rather young compared to her so she finds him silly and immature.”

“In most cases, age has nothing to do with it, Harry,” Fay said with a conspiratorial grin, “Hermione finds most, you included, to be silly and immature most of the time.”

“He does better than Ron,” Fred defended his adoptive brother.

“Bad example, brother dear, nearly everyone does better than Ron, I think ikle firsty Dennis Creevey does better than Ron.”

“True. Then how about Seamus?”

“Seamus is almost as bad as Ron, brother. He just comes at immaturity in a different way. He is more girl crazy than Lavender and Parvati are boy crazy. Plus, he has that wine thing.”

“Yes, one would think he would realize that turning water to wine doesn’t taste as good as the real thing and just give up; his poor eyebrows would surely appreciate it.” He scrunched up his face in thought, “Crabbe.”

“Fred, let’s not insult the boy, Ron is more mature than Crabbe, at least I think he is.”

“Well, I didn’t think I could say Goyle, he has been rather quiet since his father’s arrest and I can’t remember the last time he has done something stupid. I heard his grades have improved too.”

“Sadly, it is true, Goyle is more mature than Ron. I don’t think he is more mature than Harry though.”

“Another good point, George. Should our example be McLaggen?”

“Why ever would you bring up McLaggen, Freddy boy? He is a ponce and rather obnoxious. I don’t think he knows that the world does not revolve around him.”

“I know,” Fay surged to her feet in excitement, “Harry has to be more mature than Fred and George!!!”

“Good point, Fay,” Neville smiled, “and no one is as silly as they are.”

The twins gasped, “The insult!”

“The outrage!”

“The injustice.”

“How dare they?”

George paused, “Hey, Fred?”

“Yes, Forge?”

“Was that insulting?”

“I don’t really know, we are silly, I mean we love to prank people.”

“But we do know when to turn the silly off, at least I think we do.”

“And we are immature compared to Hermione, and really most girls our age, I think it comes with the fact that we’re boys and they’re girls.”

“But, again, we know when to at least try to be mature and responsible, like when we protect our adoptive brother Harry.”

“Too true, Fred. I think we are both insulted and flattered.”

“Yes, insulted and flattered.”

“Which one was more insulting?” George wondered.

Their heads swung back and forth between Neville and Fay for about a minute before turning to face each other with no signal but still at exactly the same time. “FAY.”

“Hey, why are you more insulted by me?”

“It was your idea, little Fay,” said Fred.

“Neville just added to it. And quite frankly, silly is exactly what we are.”

“Yes, the word silly essentially defines Gred and Forge.”

“Silly and genius,” George grinned.

“Or silly geniuses.”

“But not Hermione genius, we are more inventing genius whereas she is just a genius.”

“Or pranking genius but I don’t know if we are there yet.”

“Yes, that type of genius must be awarded by the Marauders.”

“Does someone want to remind me where I left off?” Hermione wondered.

“Harry was talking about his conversation with Isis and Dalilah,” Neville added helpfully.

“Are they ignoring us, George?”

“I have a rather forceful invitation to visit this summer and I can bring friends, as long as they respect snakes. I let them know that we were attempting to go to Italy, something Hermione’s parents had already planned and would most likely be joining so I wasn’t sure when or how long I could visit. Both understood but were still insistent. Oh, and I absolutely have to bring Rah or Isis is going to torture me, possibly eat me.”

“Yes, Fred, they are ignoring us.”

“I really wish I could understand snakes,” Hermione said wistfully. “I feel as though Rah and I would have the best conversations. And the knowledge he must hold. You said that snakes pass down knowledge verbally but they also learn through genetic lines. What knowledge a magical boomslang might be able to impart?” 

“Our young friends are very rude, brother mine.”

“I wish I could teach you but I can’t find any mention of a way to teach it and no spell to make it understood exists as far as I know. I have been talking with him about writing down the stories he learned while in the nest because we both know how much you want to share in keeping his history remembered.”

“I might just cry.” Fred whimpered comically.

“Do you think you could invent a spell?” Neville wondered. “From what you have told us Parselmagic functions differently than what we are taught at school, it sounds like it would be easier to create new spells with it.”

“I’m already crying, Forge.”

“I would have to talk to Ahsan. There is easy to overtax oneself with Parselmagic and I wonder if giving someone the ability to Speak would be a large drain as it would be a forever sort of thing. I suppose that you could make it temporary and that would definitely limit the power drain but the wording would still be tricky and I have a feeling that it might not necessarily work depending on the individual. Snakes are proud and I think somehow the intentions and inner self of the person would affect the success.”

“DO THEY EVEN CARE, GRED?”

“IT DOESN’T SEEM LIKE IT, FORGE!”

“SHOULD WE PUNISH THEM?”

“ABSO….”

Hermione and Fay jumped up, each rushing to the nearest twin to wrap them in a hug. “We do love you, Fred,” Fay said squeezing him tight.

“We just thought you needed to be pranked,” Hermione added, kissing George’s cheek.

“How did we do?” Neville wondered with a grin.

“It’s not Marauder worthy or anything but we thought it was fitting, though rather surprising that it happened today.” Harry grinned while shrugging.

“Yeah, we were fairly certain that today would end up with a Harry and Hermione snog fest,” Fay stuck her tongue out at Hermione’s shocked face.

Fred wiped an imaginary tear from his face, “Did you hear that, Georgy? Our amazing friends wanted to cheer us up with a prank.”

“A fine prank indeed, Freddy. To think, they know us so well that they know the best way to irritate us is to ignore us.”

“So nice of them.”

“I really do love them. It was a great idea to adopt Harry.”

“The best ever.”

“We should really thank Bill and Percy for siding with us on this.”

“Not surprising really, they are perhaps the smartest Weasleys.”

“True, just don’t tell Percy that’s how we think.”

“I wouldn’t want to face that any more than you, twin.”

“So, Fred and George,” Hermione said with a bit of a wicked smile, “I had this idea for a prank.”

George turned to the brunette, who was still sitting next to him, and immediately felt her forehead searching for signs of a fever.

“Temperature feels normal.”

“Are her eyes dilated?”

“No, and her skin looks the right color as well.”

“Harry,” Fred said with utter seriousness, “check the map!”

Hermione rolled her eyes, “I am me you know.”

“Have to check the map. Possible Hermione imposter, it never lies after all.”

“She is Hermione, guys. We were talking the other day and ended up on a random tangent that she thought you might find amusing and worthy of using as a prank.” Harry shrugged innocently.

Fred got up and sat on the other side of Hermione, “What does this idea entail?”

“Well, there is this really obnoxious song that came out last year, I heard it on vacation with my parents over the summer holiday before school. What makes it even worse is that there is a dance to go with it. I thought it would be amusing to have the entire school just start dancing while the song played at dinner some random night.”

“What kind of dance?”

“How annoying is the song?”

“Tell us more.”

“Tell us all.”

“Better yet, demonstrate!” this they shouted together.

“One question before you do, Hermione,” Neville said with a grin knowing she would avoid demonstrating at all cost, “where is Rah? I haven’t seen him since before I took my shower.”

Harry sighed, “He is visiting Draco. Rah claims he hasn’t spent enough time with Draco lately but I know it has something to do with Pansy being irritating. Pansy said something about wishing Isis had been killed by a champion or the Quintaped and both Draco and Rah took great offence. Apparently, Draco started an unofficial club within Slytherin house; I think he called it the Snake Alliance. Draco and the Slytherins with snakes meetup to discuss the amazingness of snakes and complain about Pansy. Rah wanted to join a meeting and with Pansy’s outburst yesterday they decided to meet spontaneously.”

A moment later there was a girly scream coming from the grounds, when Fay jumped up to look, she spotted Pansy running for her life while Draco rolled around in the grass laughing hysterically. “Looks like someone else thought you needed a laugh too,” Fay grinned while the rest of the group laughed.

**DMLE**

Amelia Bones was both encouraged and disappointed.

Ralston Nott had essentially turned himself over to the mercy of the Magical Law Enforcement because he was a ‘conspirator,’ however unwilling. She had tried to assure the young man that he was in no way guilty of a crime. Family Magic had forced him to attend the meeting and he had not done anything in the actual service of the self-proclaimed Dark Lord so he was in the clear. However, Mr. Nott still thought himself guilty although she thought it had more to do with the fact that he could not protect either of his brothers from their father. 

The fact that a young man from a traditionally dark family came to her to report on his criminal father was astounding and also very encouraging. To her, this was a sign that the Ministry was doing the right thing and that Magical Britain was moving forward. Ralston had admitted that he would not have come to the Ministry if this had happened before the changes spearheaded by the Black alliance.

What discouraged her was that there was very little he could tell her. There were good things about Family Magics, it could help the head of house find a missing member for instance; the problem was that it was easy to abuse. It was rare to find an individual who could ignore the call of a Family Head when they used Family Magics. Those that could were nearly always the Heir and were powerful in their own right. Sirius Black had done it but he confessed that the Head didn’t really want to force him into anything because he was playing both sides of the last war. 

Ralston was able to tell her what was discussed at the meeting. She knew that Nott had somehow resurrected the Dark Lord, but had not granted a body to the shade that had been lurking in the shadows for so long. He told her of his weakness and the ingredients he had requested to fix that weakness. It seems that the elder Nott sons had discussed the ingredients and had a fair idea of what the Dark Lord would be brewing, her own potions experts agreed. 

What Ralston could not tell her was where his father and Voldemort were. This could be because of the Family Magic or because of something like the Fidelius charm being placed on the manor they were occupying. He could not tell her who else was involved because no one else was mentioned, though he did say that his father loved to order around Yaxley. 

She could question Ralston and his brother at any time. Both were now staying with Sirius and Narcissa Black at the Black home in London, apparently because Harry had requested it. It did make things easier all around. She did not want to force the two young men to reside in holding cells and interrogation rooms when they had done the right thing. The holding cells were the only place in the Ministry they could go that would prevent them from having to answer to the Family Magics, so Sirius allowing them to use his guest rooms gave them a bit more freedom. She had given them both Portkeys that would transport them to one of the larger interrogation rooms if she needed to speak with either of them; this meant there was no time when they were not under strong wards that would prevent their father calling them to his side.

Ralston gave her a memory of the Dark Lord, though for some reason he could not give a memory of the full conversation. The image of the man looked much younger than he did in the final days of the last war. She was fairly certain she knew how and why he was returned in this way. The Bones family was old and had ties to some of the darker families, plus it was important for someone in her position to know and understand elements of the dark or she would forever be at a disadvantage when trying to squash it. She was fairly certain he had been resurrected through a Horcrux. Vile magic in every way but it would certainly explain the youth of this version of Voldemort.

Amelia Bones knew criminals and remembered Voldemort. She wondered how many soul containers he created. The maniac would not be content with only one despite the damage creating more than one would do to the soul and sanity of the original. Did he even read the warnings before he created the first? Doubtful; like any poorly designed dark spell, the warnings came after the description on what and how. A person like Voldemort would probably not even think to look for the warning after reading about essential immortality. 

She looked at the clock and sighed when she realized it was well past when she was off for the day; yet again she had stayed to nearly nine at night mulling over the approaching darkness. 

“You should go home, Ma’am.”

Amelia looked over to find Kingsley Shacklebolt in her doorway. “Weren’t you off at five yourself?”

“I caught a case at four, I was just finishing up my report.”

“Anything I need to be concerned about?”

“No,” he shook his head, “just a neighborly dispute that finally resulted in spells thrown.”

“Garland and McCully again?”

“Yes, Ma’am. Ms. Lightner called again complaining about the noise, I took a trainee to give him some field experience and low and behold this time they fired spells. When we got there both of them were part animal, Garland looked remarkably like a turkey while McCully was mostly yellow with rabbit ears and a fluffy tail.”

“I take it they are both in cells for the night?”

Shack nodded, “As we discussed with both of them, the next incident would see them both sleeping in Ministry cells. It seems their argument was just too important to care about the consequences.”

“What was it this time?”

“Who stole Matilda Bright from whom.”

Amelia sighed in disbelief, “That happened over twenty years ago. I was a second year and neither of them dated Matilda, she was dating Maxwell Iverson nearly the entire year, if memory serves. Matilda didn’t date anyone but fellow Hufflepuffs.”

“That is what Ms. Lightner said, she agrees with your memory of events.” He looked at her critically, “Is everything alright, Madam Bones?”

She shook her head, “Not really, Shack but there is nothing I can do about it tonight. I am going to call you, Rufus and a few others in for a meeting tomorrow, it will hold until then.”

“Alright, just get some sleep. We can’t do anything if you fall over from exhaustion.”

Amelia rolled her eyes; he was one to talk. “Get out of here, Shack.” He smirked and waved as he headed from the room. She took a deep breath and tried to believe her own words. 

Would it hold until tomorrow? 

**A Safe House**

Tiberius Nott was in a state of anger. Fury filled him and he wished he had access to the subjects of his anger so that they might be punished. His Lord had understandably not been happy and he had vented his anger on Tiberius. The older man was attempting to not show the tremors that wracked his body from exposure to the Cruciatus curse while facing his subordinate. Yaxley would not enjoy this meeting.

His sons were a complete and utter disappointment. Theodore did not surprise him; the boy had been raised by a weak-willed woman and house elves because Tiberius hadn’t wanted him in the first place. It was his elder sons that surprised him most. Ralston and Sebastian had such promise. They had attended the right school; Durmstrang did not produce muggle loving, Dumbledore kissing, weaklings. However, despite their proper schooling and upbringing, they were disappointments too. Tiberius had taught them the true wizarding beliefs and yet they had scorned him, they had abandoned their lord and went to the enemy for protection. They were blood traitors and cowards. 

It had been months, but Yaxley had finally returned. Tiberius knew it was Yaxley because he was one of three who knew of the property, two of which were spending their days in a Dementor induced haze in Azkaban. The idiot better have a good explanation as to his delay or he would suffer more than was already planned.

“Tiberius,” Yaxley breathed with relief, “you cannot know how glad I am to finally be here. I do not know how much more of this I can take. Please do not make me return.”

Tiberius glowered, “You will have to explain what it is you have been doing before I decide what to do with you. At this point I question whether I should let you live or if I should just kill you and be done with your complete incompetence.”

Yaxley scoffed, “I did as you instructed, I found our Lord and helped him return to his home. He was in poor condition, a mere shade, so I helped him find a body to use as host. Then I carried that damned disfigured infant all the way here. It is his fault, not mine, that we went to Barty and not you.”

“Barty?”

“Crouch’s insane son.”

“I thought the lunatic died in Azkaban.”

Yaxley let a grim smile fall on his lips, “It seems Mr. Law and Order isn’t as squeaky clean as he would have everyone believe. His wife forced him to free Barty Jr from Azkaban when she was dying. They prepared Polyjuice for her and the boy and they traded places. She died before the hour was up so no one was the wiser. Crouch had the boy secluded in the house and under the Imperius curse for nearly a decade before he slipped. Barty has been gallivanting as his father off and on since. Crouch does still work some days but he is so confused due to the Obliviations and Imperius curses that he probably doesn’t know what is real anymore.”

“How did our Lord know that Barty was waiting for him?”

“It seems the crazy idiot has a talent for communication. I didn’t understand it myself but he was able to project his thoughts along the Dark Mark to our lord. Barty’s fanaticism is surprising and the shade is far from sane himself so they are the perfect pair.”

“He created Horcruxes.”

“I am not sure I know what that is.”

“It is a way to cheat death. Creating one will anchor the soul to the mortal world so that it can’t move on. The only problem is it darkens the soul and tears at the mind when the soul is split. A Horcrux can be used to resurrect the body of the shade or to rebirth the individual to the state of body and mind at the time of the splitting.” Nott rolled his shoulders, “I resurrected another version of our lord, a version that is in his late twenties or early thirties. He looks and acts much more stable though he does have bouts of anger.”

“Does he torture those who displease him?”

“To a point but not to the extent that he did right before his downfall. I cannot see him killing a follower for failure, betrayal yes, failure no. What are his and Barty’s plans?”

Yaxley swallowed, “They are attempting to get him a body, I am guessing it is a method that does not use a Horcrux because he is not concerned with gathering anything but Harry Potter.”

“The Potter brat?”

“Something about blood, or was it bone?”

Nott let his gaze wander while he thought of the possibilities, “Could it be?” he wondered absently. “I believe there is a potion that uses bone of the father, flesh of the servant and blood of the enemy but I would have to search through my library on rituals to be sure. How does he plan on getting Potter? The boy is at Hogwarts with Dumbledore and has the backing of the Black alliance and the Ministry.”

“The tournament. Barty entered the boy as the only champion of some made up fourth school. Somehow, they are rigging it so that the boy wins the tournament, though from what I overheard the boy is doing just fine without their help.”

“I assume Barty’s idea of help is outlandish as well.”

“He was going to suggest the boy fly against his Dragon.”

“What a moronic suggestion. What did our Lord have to say to that?”

“He thought it was hilarious. There is one other thing he is obsessed with and that is a prophecy.”

“Do you know the wording?” he had never mentioned exactly what the prophecy was but he had mentioned that there was one that involved him. His version was far less concerned with divination so didn’t particularly care but Tiberius still wanted to know.

“I couldn’t say. The Dark Lord is exceptionally paranoid and placed Barty under the Cruciatus for longer than is healthy when he asked about it so I didn’t even let on that I had heard any part of the conversation about the Hall of Prophecies despite the fact that everyone knew I was in the room.” Yaxley dropped to his knees, “Please, Tiberius, do not make me return. I do not think I’ll survive if I do. If the torture does not kill me Barty or that blasted snake will.”

Nott eyed him for a moment, weighing his options. “I am not in the best light at the moment due to the weakness of my children and their ultimate betrayal. The only reason our Lord’s plans have not been derailed is that Crabbe remains loyal.”

“Ralston and Sebastian betrayed the Dark Lord?” Yaxley asked in shock. 

“Indeed,” he affirmed with a grimace. “My eldest has approached Madam Bones. When I find him and his brothers, I will kill them myself, though I may hold one of them to sire an heir before I kill him. Bringing another loyal follower may appease his anger and you are more useful to me if you aren’t killed by that little maniac Barty. I will present you to our lord tomorrow and you will explain all you have told me in great detail.”

“Why not today?”

“Our Lord is resting and in the middle of a small ritual to promote strength so as not to be disturbed. Plus, you reek as if you have not showered in months; I will not allow such filth near our Lord.”

Nott grabbed the groveling man by the shoulder and dragged him to the Floo. He whispered in the man’s ear and with a flash of green flame, the safe house was once again empty. Yaxley would receive his punishment later.

**Great Hall**

Today was the day.

The best day of the year.

At least that is what a certain pair of redheaded pranksters thought. It was Saturday April first, the anniversary of the day they were born and the day they vowed to play a huge prank on the school every year. To make everything better, the Triwizard tournament was going on and there were loads of extra people at the castle. Additionally, the tournament organizers and sponsors decided to have a charity thing with the Firebolt company and a dance that evening. Rumor was they chose not to have any actual events because Headmaster Dumbledore had warned every one of the Weasley’s usual choice of birthday celebrations.

The event with Firebolt had gone off without a hitch. Inventors and advertisers for the brand had talked to each of the players on the six school teams, asking them about their brooms in comparison to any other they had flown in the past. Quality Quidditch had also joined in and asked for reviews about the equipment they had provided. The uniforms and some of the pads were new and not yet available for consumers; the Triwizard quidditch teams and certain professional teams were testing out the armor during games for the company. 

Quality Quidditch auctioned off uniforms in each of the six team colors as well as a Quaffle signed by every player with proceeds going to Evan’s House. Not to be outdone, Firebolt auctioned off three brooms, each broom having been signed by the students playing for each school. 

No one would be surprised the following day when the interviews quoted Viktor Krum and Harry Potter about the brooms and equipment. To make it fair there would be a quote by the top Beauxbatons seeker Aimee Beaucourt. After all, one must not exclude one school just because it lacked an equally famous student. 

Before the whole Firebolt festival, as the twins started calling it, their friends handed them their gifts. Most people tended to give one gift that they were supposed to share but their younger friends had stopped doing that for the most part unless it was something big that is. Bill had shown up at breakfast and accompanied them to the Come and Go Room, where they planned to give gifts. Bill and Charlie had actually gone in jointly to purchase their gifts; they were each given dragonhide jackets, ones that looked like muggle leather jackets. The dragon hide was taken from a Hebridean Black that had died of old age; Charlie made sure of that otherwise he would not have approved of the gift. Ginny gave them slips that said things like ‘one week with no bat-bogey hexes’ or ‘one day Ginny de-gnomes the garden for the twins.’ Ron forgot, not really surprising, which was why he gave them two chocolate frogs, one of which looked like it was nearly opened. Percy gave them a promise to do their initial legal paperwork for their business. They got clothes from their mother, also delivered by Bill; not fun in the least but what could you expect from mothers?

Hermione had given them a book each. Fred was given a book on advertising, to help train him for their future business, while George had gotten a book on business management. When they had feigned excitement, she grinned and produced a third book, one they would have to share. Inside this book was a list of pranks and product ideas thought up by one Hermione Granger. She had been writing them down for over a year until she filled the entire notebook with prank ideas and details about those ideas. Needless to say, the twins were extremely grateful.

Neville, Draco and Fay had a bit of a theme going. Each gave them something that would be useful in their inventing. Neville had given them a somewhat rare plant that was quite expensive because of the challenges in growing it, that was very useful in potions that had explosive endings; the plant also really stank so it could be useful in that area as well. Draco had decided to give them new brewing equipment; various types of base ingredients, cauldrons, stirring rods, etc. His mother and Severus chipped in on the gift. Fay, with a little help from Remus, gave them an owl of their own. No self-respecting business owner used their mother’s ancient owl for official correspondence. 

Harry knew the twins missed having the map. They used it from time to time but wanted Harry to have it because he was the Heir to the Marauders. Harry copied the notes his father and Remus wrote when making the map and gave the twins the copy. He figured they could improve their own version when they finally developed it.

Sirius, Remus and Aria had purchased a building for them to use in Diagon Alley when they were ready for business. This was given last so that the twins received all of their gifts before fainting.

But that wasn’t even the best part of the day. No, that was the dance held in their honor that was just about to start. Okay, the dance was for the Triwizard tournament and had absolutely nothing to do with them but beggars couldn’t be choosers as they say.

It was great, Angelina agreed to accompany Fred, against her better judgement. George had asked someone no one would have expected, Nicole Frey, Potions expert of Hogwarts. The twins had wanted her opinion on a prank potion and she had found the whole thing hilarious. Subsequently she had agreed to accompany George to the dance when he asked after spending a considerable amount of time working on the prank potion with them. She would be checking some of their other work and even said she had some ideas knocking around in her head she thought they might find amusing. They were also excitedly anticipating seeing Professor Snape’s face when he learned of his most advanced student’s involvement with the ‘terrible twins.’

“My dearest Angelina, you look lovely tonight,” Fred said with an exaggerated bow. “I must again thank you for agreeing to attend the dance with one such as me.”

In true form, Angelina smacked the back of his head before kissing him on the cheek, “Stop it, you moron. This is why I insisted on meeting you outside the Great Hall, otherwise we would get stuck with your ridiculous routine in the common room and end up being late.” She turned to Nicole, “Why did you agree to go with that one? I figured you were smarter than I am.”

Nicole smiled wickedly, “You may not remember, but I used to play pranks all the time before these two stole my thunder. I was, of course, much subtler so people stopped noticing or paying attention to my brilliant ideas because they just love the flash and bang. When they asked me to review something for them, I was ecstatic. Finding out that George and I get along rather well and can spar mentally was a welcome surprise. The number of people who can keep up with me when it comes to potions is extremely low and they all tend to be rather stuffy.”

“Wait,” Angelina stopped suddenly, “You helped these idiots? Are you crazy?”

Nicole just smiled, “Tonight is going to be so much fun! Thank you for letting me help!”

“I blame you two,” Angelina said with a frown, “It’s the only explanation for this. Nicole is a smart student; she shouldn’t be wasting her time with your pranks.”

“You can’t blame us for anything today, Ang,” George said with a grin.

“It’s our birthday and you know the team,”

“Mostly Oli.”

“Said that nothing can be your fault on your birthday.”

“Even if it clearly is.”

“Aren’t they just hilarious?” Nicole grinned.

“I miss Alicia. She hits them when they do that.”

“If his antics bother you so much why did you agree to accompany him, Angelina?”

“It’s not that I hate the pranks, I just wish they were more serious. Pranks aren’t a stable future.”

“I think she has been talking to Mum, Fred.”

“Agreed, George,” Fred grabbed Angelina’s hand, “Ang, we have plans. We are going to take our NEWTs and plan to do well in all of our subjects, if we don’t, we might lose the sponsors we have acquired.”

“Our sponsors are pranksters at heart but know that you need a good education to succeed, even in the pranking business.”

“They are even giving us lessons over the summer holidays on products versus prank material.”

“Hermione gave us books to help with the business side, like advertising and management.”

“Percy is going to help us with the legal paperwork.”

“And we have a building, purchased by our sponsors, that is ours once we finish school and prove we did what we promised.”

“Angie, I really like you but it makes it really hard when you won’t even try to understand our dream; I know we didn’t give much indication that we had actual plans before but I think we have proved over the last year and half that we can be reliable and serious.”

She shook her head with a smile, “You’re right, Fred. I guess I was just jealous of all the attention that you are giving to the fourth years and your pranks. It’s hard not being on the team this year because I don’t get to spend as much time with you and your idiot brother.”

“Hey!” George said with mock outrage. “I will have you know that I am the smart one, he is the handsome one.”

“Sorry, George, my mistake.” Angelina kissed Fred’s cheek. “I will try to be more supportive, oh handsomest twin.”

“Fred, George,” Harry called from the entrance to the Great Hall, the smirk on his face making it obvious that he had overheard much of their conversation, “are you coming or what? Dinner is about to be served and you know Dobby will have insisted on doing something special for you. He will be quite disappointed if you aren’t there to receive your special dinner.”

The twins looked at each other with wide eyes, “He is right, brother dear,” Fred said tugging Angelina’s hand.

“You are going to love this, my lady Nicole. Dobby is a great House Elf with true skill with cooking special things for people who are nice to his Master Harry Potter Sir.”

“To the FOOD,” they said as one dragging their dates behind them; one scowling because it was necessary to prevent large heads, the other laughing along in glee.

….

The Spring Dance, as it had been dubbed by the uninventive Mr. Crouch, was going well. The people from Firebolt, and Headmaster Dumbledore, managed to keep Crouch from boring everyone with his monotone speeches. Food was devoured eagerly due to the excellent work of all House Elves, not just Dobby, for a certain group celebrating the birthday boys. 

Headmaster Dumbledore had announced that it was time for dancing, and that curfew for the first and second years would go into effect in an hour, the third years an hour after that. 

It was approaching the time for the younger students to find their beds when it happened. The music cut off mid song and a new one started a moment later, a song with an obvious Latin flare. Then, by some unknown signal, every person in the hall, whether they were on the dance floor or not, began to dance, all facing the same wall.

Those who had family in the muggle world knew the song and dance, though they were not controlling their bodies, so they put some enthusiasm into it mostly in the form of facial expressions and sharper movements; they were also a lot less awkward. Pureblood students seemed to be jerked around, nothing painful but certainly graceless. Those who could watch while dancing would have described it as though parts of their body arrived before others. 

Hermione, Nicole Frey and the twins laughed as the prank spell and potions forced them to dance. The other members of Fred and George’s group were being rather good sports about it. Fay was in near hysterics watching Draco and Neville being pulled around, they didn’t look angry, just uncomfortable and confused. Ilya, her Russian werewolf date for the night, was adapting rather well and was laughing at the outraged look on Karkaroff’s face.

Harry was in a fit of giggles. He knew he looked ridiculous, but he wasn’t the only one, in fact very few people looked like they weren’t in some state of ridiculous. Yes, he looked ridiculous but he was having a blast. His girlfriend was enjoying ‘her’ prank. It was her idea and obnoxiously rude people looked embarrassed or appalled. Plus, the Headmaster was having the time of his life. 

Draco didn’t know if he was having fun or not. A part of him, that very small part that still quoted his father, told him he should be outraged but the rest of him thought this was the most hilarious thing he had ever witnessed and participated in. Seeing his House-mates get moved around to a bizarre muggle song was rather refreshing; the look on Pansy’s face was cause for much laughter. It didn’t help that Neville kept shooting him confused and amused glances while they danced. He was sure he was showing some of his own odd glances right back.

Fleur Delacour’s face was beet red from embarrassment. Her crush, the man of her dreams, Bill Weasley was in the room, he could see her, she was dancing to a horrid song, and dancing something utterly absurd. It didn’t matter that Bill was also forced to dance this strange dance, and that he appeared to be highly amused, it was still embarrassing. 

Viktor Krum and his friends were enjoying themselves. Viktor, Alek and Mikhail had actually heard the song and seen the dance before; they liked sneaking away from Viktor’s trainer when he was on the international circuit. During one of their forays away from the structured schedule he was supposed to keep, they had witnessed this particular phenomenon. The dance was easy to learn so they were wiggling along with the motions the potion or spell was instructing them to do. Visiting Hogwarts got better and better; Viktor knew he was going to have to thank Harry’s friends for this experience. He wondered if they knew YMCA.

Cedric Diggory didn’t know if he loved or hated his year-mates. Fred and George were admittedly brilliant, though he didn’t know they had this level of control over their pranks, but did they really have to make him look this uncoordinated? Why didn’t Krum look as lame as he did? At least Delacour looked as embarrassed as he felt. He blinked looking at the Headmaster; the old man could move. 

Hagrid LOVED the song and LOVED the dance; the ground and tables near him rumbled as he jumped to face the next direction. 

If he could, he would kill the twins. Severus Snape did not dance. This was undignified, silly and outrageous. Did he look like someone who would find this amusing? Surely not. He was grudgingly impressed, they had to have used a combination of potions and spells but did they really need to drag the teachers into this? Well, it was funny to see the other teachers do this ridiculous dance and the Headmaster was enjoying himself which was always good for individuals who suffered from deteriorating health. He was also rather glad that Karkaroff was so angry. Still, couldn’t they have left him out of it? They had to have had help with this too. Miss Granger must have introduced them to the song and dance that were obviously muggle in origin and while they were good, he was unsure if they were this good with potions. He was going to have to find a way to give all those responsible for this detention without making it seem like he was punishing them for this. First, he just needed to figure out who helped with the potion; he had a sinking suspicion it was one of his favorite potions students. He really hated punishing those students because they were the least dunderheaded dunderheads in the school.

Bill Weasley was happy he was in the same country as his younger brothers on their birthday. He knew they gave themselves the gift of an ultimate prank on their birthday and they had done fairly well when they were little but this was perhaps the most epic thing they had ever done. He would have to figure out who suggested the song and thank them. It was probably Hermione because she was really the only one who went into the muggle world. It was fascinating to see the reactions of those around him. Most were taking it rather well, finding it funny once they got used to the movements. A few looked enraged, though Karkaroff always looked angry so nothing new there. Madam Maxime looked bewildered but that was funny too. He almost felt bad for Miss Delacour, if she would just relax, she wouldn’t appear so awkward every time he was in the room. He had to admit she was beautiful but he wasn’t sure if she was mature enough for the challenges of his life and job. His mother would eat her alive. He knew she was interested but, at least for now, a relationship between them would not work. Bill glanced at his brothers; yes, Fred and George really did know how to party and it made him so proud that they also had learned when to be serious. 

Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was disappointed when the song ended. What an amazing way to unite everyone! Such a great song and dance too, muggles really were such creative people. “Students and teachers, I think that deserves a round of applause!” He smiled when all but a few actually did begin to clap with actual enthusiasm. “Now the youngest students should be heading to bed soon but before they go, I believe we should wish a very happy birthday to the individuals who just graced us with song and dance.” He gestured to the table that Fred and George were now standing on because Harry and Neville had dragged them there. “I believe a lively round of the birthday song is in order. Everyone together now, on three. One, two, three…”

The Great Hall erupted into song, thankfully no one decided to sing it in a funeral dirge like Fred and George normally did when singing the school song. When the song finished, Fred and George were bowing to the applause of the students while laughing quite loudly. 

“Very good, Misters Weasley. I believe ten points apiece for such impressive spell and potion work,” he paused and smiled, his gaze traveling to another student, “oh, and ten points to Miss Frey for helping you with the potion.” He winked at the now blushing girl and almost laughed when he heard Severus groan to his left. “Now, I do regret it but our first- and second-year students must head to bed now, it is past your curfew already.”

The first and second years cleared the room without complaint. At least they hadn’t missed the best Weasley prank ever.

As they walked down the halls toward their houses you could hear them singing, “Hey Macarena.”


	35. Choices

**Great Hall**

It was a tired and happy Hogwarts that gathered on April second to watch the second round in the Dueling Competition. Students from every house were laughing and regaling their friends about the previous night and the truly epic prank pulled by the Weasley twins. Muggleborn students who had known about the ‘wonderful’ Macarena before the prank were teaching the dance to their friends and hoping to find a recording so they could dance once again to the Latin beats. 

The visiting students were also in good spirits. Most realized quickly that the prank was not meant to humiliate but for the enjoyment of all; how could it possibly be malicious when the pranksters allowed the prank to affect themselves? Some, like Fleur, were still embarrassed and a handful, Karkaroff, were angry but all in all the prank was a roaring success.

“I quite liked your birthday present, Fred and George Weasley,” Luna said with a bright smile when she joined the group in the stands to watch the duels. “That much joy and unity is a great way to ward off Wrackspurts. The castle is much less fuzzy minded this morning.”

“We’re glad you enjoyed yourself, little Luna,” George said with a grin while his brother stared open mouthed trying to figure out what Wrackspurts were. “You should thank the brainy Miss Granger as well; she is the one who told us about the song and dance.”

Luna bounced on her toes before lunging for Hermione and hugging her tightly, “Thank you, Hermione Granger. I had so much fun and you just keep making my life better!”

Hermione smiled a bit bewildered and patted the enthusiastic girl’s back. “You’re welcome, Luna. I was hoping to make more than just those two smile with my suggestion.” She studied the girl and was happy to see most of the wariness that used to be the norm gone from her big silver eyes. “Why don’t you join us to watch this round of duels? We can talk about anything you like, perhaps even the effects of unity on magical fields.”

Luna sat down next to Hermione with a squeal, “I knew you would understand! Unity is a very important concept in Arithmancy and can cause any number of changes to the world in general…”

Harry, who was sitting on Hermione’s other side, smiled fondly as his girlfriend and the happy Ravenclaw fell into an in-depth discussion of principles of unity when applied to various subjects of magical theory. It should have been surprising how quickly he lost all notion of what they were speaking of but he was used to Hermione out thinking him, it really wasn’t odd that a young Ravenclaw could out theory him too. Luna really was a smart girl; it was too bad her class-mates judged her before getting to know her.

“Hey, Harry, Neville,” Draco said while plopping down into the seat directly in front of Harry. “Where might Fay be this morning?” he asked with a wicked smile.

Neville rolled his eyes; he liked the Draco that didn’t follow his father’s teachings but sometimes his ‘sibling rivalry’ with Fay was ridiculous. “You know exactly where she is.”

“Ah, yes, I see,” he glanced toward the Durmstrang dueling team to see Fay standing very close to the youngest member of the team. “Our little Fay is so cute with her new crush. Should I go warn him what will happen if he breaks her heart?”

“Oh, shut up, Draco,” Theo rolled his eyes. Theo had been spending a lot more time with Draco and his Gryffindors, as the rest of their house had started calling the group. Certain members of their house were getting much more hostile the more vocal Theo was about his disgust with his father. Pansy, Vince and some of the older students had been giving him very threatening looks, and in some cases just outright threatening him. Spending time with the Gryffindors made his life both livable and enjoyable and he was convinced that he should have sought out non Slytherin friends years ago. “You didn’t threaten me when I asked her out so why would you threaten someone who could flatten you in a duel?”

“He couldn’t beat me in a duel, Theo.”

“Actually,” Harry said butting in, “I am fairly certain he would wipe the floor with you. He is supposed to be the second strongest dueler on the Durmstrang team, according to Viktor. In fact, Viktor and Alek said Ilya could probably beat Grace half the time, and she is the best duelist we have.”

“Yeah, Draco,” Fred leaned over the blond Slytherin’s shoulder, “about the only person in the school who would be a challenge to tuff little Ilya is Harry.”

“Are you sure you can call him little, Fred?”

“Well, if he is going to be with little Fay doesn’t he have to be little Ilya, Georgy?”

“Do you plan on using that as a pet name for him, Freddy boy?”

Fred tilted his head in thought, “I see your point, he would really not appreciate the cute name and would probably hex me. BUT I maintain that Harry could beat all the Durmstrang duelists with his eyes closed and one hand tied behind his back.”

“Um, no I couldn’t. I doubt I could beat any of them if they had their eyes closed and one handed. I’m a fourth year!”

“Sure, you could, Harry,” Fred insisted, “you face off against Professor Snape all the time, no one is scarier than he is.”

“Dragons,” Neville said simply.

“Basilisks,” George added, a bit guilty that he was challenging his twin.

“Self-named Dark Lords,” Draco grimaced.

“Moony during a full moon,” Harry added in reference to the night of Greyback’s attack, not that anyone but Hermione and Fay would know exactly what he meant.

“My mother,” Draco swallowed.

“Okay, good points everyone, especially Narcissa, but I still think Harry could take him.”

“I would be willing to test that if you would like,” Ilya smirked having just walked up to the group while holding Fay’s hand. One thing everyone always forgot was how quietly werewolves could walk, even if they were in human form, not to mention their exceptional hearing. “I would be honored to duel Harry Potter; Viktor says you have much power and great potential.”

“At least we can all agree that you would wipe the floor with Fred,” Fay grinned at the twin’s pout. She turned to Ilya and kissed his cheek, “Show these idiots what you’ve got.” He kissed the hand he still held in his own before bowing slightly to the group and returning to his team.

“Do I need to remind you that you are a student of Hogwarts, Little Fay?”

“No, you do not, Little Dragon. Need I remind you that you continually cheer for Viktor’s team when he is facing anyone but yourself and Harry? Or that you cheered for Bulgaria at the World Cup despite being from the British Isles?”

“You are too young to date.”

“You didn’t think so when I dated Theo for about three months.”

“He is too old for you.”

“He is five months older than me, his birthday is in August, making him a fifth year and mine is in January, making me a fourth year. If you have a problem with our age difference then you need to have a problem with Harry and Hermione’s relationship; I don’t think you are brave enough for that.”

“At the very least, he isn’t stupid enough for that, Hermione would kill him and then his mother would lock his remains in his room for the entire summer” Theo whispered to Harry, who was chuckling like most of their group.

Draco looked away for a second trying to find the right argument to scare his sparring partner, “What would Moony and Accalia think of your association with a foreigner such as he?”

Fay scowled at him, “I have already had discussions to that effect with Accalia and she encouraged me to pursue any feelings I had as long as they were genuine. And if Accalia suggested that, you know Moony would agree.” Fay leaned down and stepped closer so that she could speak quietly, “I would be very unhappy with you, Dragon, for being so loose lipped about the affairs of Moony, Accalia and Faolan if I did not know for a fact that Theo had already discovered that secret. They do not want to be outed before they are ready and the government just isn’t there yet. If certain elements were to discover that secret, part of this family would be forced to flee to other countries to continue the lives they wish to live. There is only one school that openly allows people like Faolan to attend school and it just so happens to be Durmstrang and that is only under the conditions that the current student does well and there are no incidents.”

Draco’s already pale complexion had gone nearly transparent during her whispered dressing down. “I am so sorry, Fay. I completely forgot that Theo isn’t part of the original group. I am so used to him in the dorm that it felt like he had been here the whole time. I like not being the only snake in a den of lions.”

“I understand that, Draco,” she hugged him. “I just ask that you be more aware of your surroundings, particularly when you are tired like today; it makes your brain slow and your tongue loose. Though I do find it a bit disturbing that you haven’t mentioned the fact that you felt guilty for saying such things in front of Luna.”

Draco once more turned white. He swiveled in his seat, coming face to face with the odd Ravenclaw. 

“Fear not, Draco of Black,” Luna said with a distant smile. “I have seen the inner self of Fay and our defense professor since the beginning of my second year. Their secrets are not mine to share and I do not fear that which is bonded within them.” With that, Luna dove back into her discussion with Hermione.

“Sometimes, she scares me,” Draco said with a shocked expression on his face. Fay could only nod.

Before anyone could comment further, a group of first-year students ran up to Fred and George and started dancing the Macarena while humming the beat. As one they all shouted, “Hey Macarena, Oi,” and ran off giggling. 

….

“Did you see that Durmstrang boy?” Marietta Edgecombe said with a dreamy sigh to her best friend as they walked toward the front doors of the hall. 

Hogwarts had put up a good fight but had not been able to beat the Durmstrang duelers. Unfortunately, they had only won the second and last duels, Grace refused to be beaten by the pompous Durmstrang captain. Sixth year, Terrance Cumberbatch, had been embarrassed to lose to a girl from Beauxbatons so had managed to prove his skills by beating his large and skilled seventh year opponent. 

Ilya had won his duel easily but had let it go longer than needed to show both his school and the students of Hogwarts, particularly a certain Gryffindor, that he deserved to be there. For a fifth year he had quite the repertoire of spells combined with speed and accuracy that wasn’t often seen in such a young duelist. The speed was understandable, if you knew what he was; the other two, however, proved that he had worked hard to get to his level of skill.

“He is in our year and yet he is that good at dueling. He is dreamy. I wonder what it would take to get his attention and get him to snog me.” 

Fay growled deep in her throat hearing Edgecombe speak of Ilya that way, surprising herself. She had never done something that animalistic so far from the full moon, a day on either side sure but not around the new moon. 

Chang and Edgecombe looked at the Gryffindors, wondering who had made that strange noise before shrugging and starting to walk toward the exit again. “Mari, I think Ilya is dating the Dunbar girl, or at least considering it. He was her date to the dance last night and they were holding hands before the event. I think I even saw him kiss her hand!”

“Why would that matter? They haven’t announced anything and I am far prettier than she is, I mean she really hasn’t developed at all, guys like a girl with something on top. Plus, he is my age and won’t need to dumb anything down when he talks to me.”

“I am not even going to touch the first part of that, just know that you have irritated me because I think she and I probably wear the same size bra.” Cho gave her friend a look, “She is only a year behind us and is friends with some of the smartest students in her year, I don’t think she is stupid and it is highly insulting to think that someone a year above would have to ‘dumb down’ to talk to a younger student; do you think Cedric dumbs everything he says down to talk to me?”

“We are Ravenclaws, we dumb down to talk to non-Ravenclaws.”

Cho Chang stopped in her tracks, really regretting spending the morning with her friend instead of her boyfriend. “I don’t think I can be around you right now. Everything you just said was highly insulting not just to Fay Dunbar, but also to nearly everyone else in the room including the foreign boy you were just professing to like. Grow up, Mari! Cedric talked to me earlier this year about my attitude and I am now immensely embarrassed for myself. We are OWL students and we need to act like it.” Cho stormed past her friend and left the Great Hall without waiting for a reply.

“Cho, get back here,” Marietta ran after her, completely forgetting everything else.

“Are you alright, Fay?” Hermione asked.

“She is just surprised by the lengths her inner self will go to show her displeasure,” Luna said dreamily. “Marietta was laying claim to one who may very well belong to Fay.”

Fay blushed, “He isn’t mine. I mean, I like him. I like him a lot and he understands me and my issues better than everybody but Moony and Accalia. And he makes me feel safe, which is weird because I barely know him. But he still isn’t mine, you can’t claim someone just because you want to. And things like this don’t happen that fast. Even if one day he was mine, I couldn’t possibly know that now, that would be insane.”

“Excuse me, Harry Potter and friends,” Ilya stood just behind Fay as she rambled on, “I am going to borrow her for a moment, I will return her in a hopefully calmer state.” He grabbed her hand and tugged on it lightly, “Come lyubov moya, we should talk.”

Come and Go Room

“I very much like your castle, Harry,” Fleur said while examining the room he had led them to. “That is one thing that is truly missing at Beauxbatons, the building itself is not inherently magic.”

Harry smiled with a shrug, “I do like the hidden rooms and secret passageways, though the moving staircases can be annoying from time to time.”

“Like the time it shifted and put us on the third floor in first year when that area of the castle was out of bounds,” Hermione added with a shake of her head.

“You ended up on the forbidden corridor?” Cedric said with some surprise. “I can see that from the Weasley twins, but from what I have come to understand neither of you go looking for trouble.” He paused for a second, “though, trouble does seem to follow you around. What was in there anyway?”

“A giant Cerberus standing over a trap door that led to some minor obstacles that guarded the philosopher’s stone.”

The trio of seventeen-year-old students blinked at the younger duo. Hermione had said that with such a deadpanned look that it was impossible to refute its accuracy. “The philosopher’s stone was hidden in the school?” Cedric wondered.

“Cerberus are dangerous creatures,” Viktor added, “What was one doing in a school?”

“Why would someone hide the philosopher’s stone in a school, guarding it with minor obstacles and a Cerberus?” Fleur wondered logically. “How do you know they were minor obstacles?”

“I have yet to get a good answer for that,” Harry said with a shake of his head. “The Cerberus is Hagrid’s by the way, his name is Fluffy. Apparently, it was a trap for our defense professor, who just so happened to be possessed by Voldemort.”

“The truly odd part is that three first year students were able to get past each of the obstacles under that trap door. Very telling don’t you think? The only one that would have caused us any trouble was the troll, but it was unconscious when we arrived.”

Cedric let out a short, incredulous laugh, “You three had already faced a troll and won.”

Viktor and Fleur shared a look, “I think we are missing quite a bit of information, Viktor.”

“I would agree, Fleur. Why would you have to face a troll?”

Cedric put a hand up so he could answer, “Let me guess, our possessed defense professor let it in?”

“That he did, and as luck would have it, the troll was not in the dungeons like that ‘fainting’ professor claimed, it ended up in the girls’ restroom Hermione just so happened to be in at the time.”

“You continue to surprise, Harry. You know more than one your age should. Also, you are more capable than many that are years older. On that thought,” she had a curious look on her face, “I would like to know when you learned the Patronus charm.” Fleur was still coming to terms with what exactly Harry Potter was. There were just so many peculiarities when it came to him. “Aimee said you performed it to prove your magic had not been removed when you made the vow about not entering the tournament and then we all saw it again during the third task, which means you learned it before this year.”

“Fenrir Greyback was on a warpath last year and left clues that his target was in the area. So, someone smart at the Ministry thought it would be a good idea to increase security around the castle grounds by using Dementors.”

Fleur blinked, there was a lot in that statement too. “But research suggests that werewolves are not affected by Dementors during the full moon. It was widely known that Fenrir Greyback was only dangerous during the full moon because that was the only time he ever attacked.”

“You are correct, Fleur,” Harry said, “they are not. Hermione and I were stunned and taken to the werewolves on the last full moon of the school year. Greyback and his loyal followers were not affected when the Dementors showed up but we certainly were.”

“Some of our professors decided to teach the students most affected by the Dementors how to defend themselves,” Hermione added. “The professors were waiting at the train station when everyone returned to the school after the Yule Holiday and watched every student’s reaction.”

“I have some bad memories and, according to the professors, had one of the worst reactions to the dementors that night.” Harry shrugged and continued, “So they offered to teach me. And, of course, what I do my closest friends insist on doing.”

“Tell them about your second year,” Cedric said with a grin. He was enjoying the fact that his fellow champions were finally seeing that Harry was actually rather prepared for the tournament despite his age. His performance was actually less surprising when you knew what he had faced in the past.

“Oh, the Chamber of secrets. That actually wasn’t that impressive on my part.” Harry shrugged. “A student was being controlled by outside forces and opened Slytherin’s fabled chamber. In the chamber there was a centuries old Basilisk that was sort of attacking others. No one died because they didn’t look at its eyes directly, there was always something lessening the effect of the killing gaze so they were only petrified. Anyway, in the course of the year I discovered I was a Parselmouth. The school thought I was evil because I could talk to snakes. Hermione was petrified and helped me deduce where the chamber was. I went to Professors McGonagall and Snape with the information instead of Lockhart, as Ron had suggested. He was the Defense professor but… well, in the end, Professor Snape killed the Basilisk.”

“But you saw the giant snake, right?” Cedric grinned, “that’s how you knew what one looked like to create the illusion of one in the first task.”

“Well, yeah, but it’s not like I killed it with a sword or anything. I hid behind a pillar with the twins while the professors dealt with the danger.”

“I feel even more foolish for my ‘little boy’ comment now.”

“I have been wondering if we should just hand Harry the trophy.”

“You are a worthy opponent in the air and on the ground.” Viktor looked around the room, “Now I believe we were going to discuss the so-called clue left by the organizers for the next task.”

Harry nodded and pulled the small chest from his bag. He once again opened the chest to reveal the feather and twig that lay inside. “Does anyone have any ideas? Because honestly the first thing I thought of was cleaning the owlery.”

“What kind of feather is it?” Cedric wondered. “Does it belong to a magical creature or is it just a normal bird feather?”

Harry handed the feather to the older Hogwarts student, “It looks like a normal owl feather to me. It could have come from any number of school owls as far as I can tell. It doesn’t feel inherently magical and I couldn’t detect any magic when I scanned it.”

The Hufflepuff pulled out his wand and cast a few of his own spells on the feather, each one telling him exactly what Harry had just explained. “Well, that gets rid of the idea that we might have to craft a wand or something.”

“I suppose you could find no magic on the twig either?”

Harry nodded while handing the twig to Viktor. “It looks a bit like a twig off a school broom but could have come from anywhere, and as you guessed, I couldn’t find any magic on it but I would appreciate it if someone checked my work.”

While Viktor scanned the twig, Fleur knelt down next to the younger champion and examined the chest. “I wonder if there is something hidden within the chest itself.”

Harry tilted his head in thought, “Like a false bottom. Why didn’t I think of that?” he wondered to himself. “I used to hide things under the floorboards at my aunt’s house so that I had food or my homework over the summer.” Harry started examining the chest without realizing that his fellow champions had frozen in shock. This was not something they expected from the young man. They did not comment, however, because of the quick headshake from the young man’s girlfriend. “I don’t see any physical indication of a false bottom or hidden side compartment but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one hidden magically. Wizards tend to be lazy so they probably wouldn’t think to make a physical hidden chamber anyway.” He pulled out his wand and tapped it against his lip in thought. “I wonder if a Revelio would be enough or if it would require something more complicated.” 

Shrugging, he cast the revealing spell at the chest, letting out a whoop when the bottom, lid and two sides flashed indicating hidden compartments. “Nice, suggestion Fleur,” Harry grinned. “I need something more than a Revelio to open the hidden chambers but they are there.” Harry tapped the lid portion with his wand as a test, “I wonder what it is going to be. Do you think that it is some sort of unlocking charm or runes or something connected to the task it was acquired from?”

Hermione knelt next to him, “Alohomora.” 

Fleur knelt on his other side, “Perhaps it is something to do with the elements like in the last task. There are four compartments and there were four keys, four chests and four elements.” She truly regretted her early attitude toward the younger champion. The only female champion had been hit with a rash of bad luck in the tasks, added to Karkaroff’s obvious bias that he still got away with for unknown reasons. Harry Potter may not have the knowledge base they did due to being two to three years behind them but he was smart and quick. His assumptions and plans were exceptional for someone his age. She knew that luck played a part in everything but Harry Potter’s success so far was much more than luck. He had skill and power to back him, not to mention his friends.

“I think Fleur is on to something, Harry,” Cedric leaned down over Harry’s shoulder. “The question is which element for which compartment and how do we activate them.”

“We will need to use the Ogham symbol, like in the task,” Viktor added quietly. “Try writing it on the side first, if that does not work, we can carve it.”

“I think the lid and bottom are most likely air and earth respectively, it is the most logical arrangement so we should see what reveals the compartment for those first and then we can tackle the sides. Does anyone have a quill or perhaps a brush and ink?”

Hermione, always prepared, produced a quill and ink from her bag almost before Fleur had finished her thought. “You should do the honors, Harry has terrible handwriting,” she grinned at the older girl and winked at Harry’s mock outrage.

Fleur looked to the two older male champions and then nodded in accent. Quickly but neatly, she wrote the Ogham symbol for air on the middle of the inner portion of the lid. “Who would like to activate the rune to see if that is enough?”

Cedric leaned a bit farther down, putting a hand on Harry’s shoulder to prevent himself from falling and touched his wand to the air rune. The rune flashed white briefly before the panel faded away to nothing. Behind the panel was a poem of sorts:

_On an Island of sky, you must fight_

_Facing many while standing alone_

_In a course of cloud, you take flight_

_Dodge and weave, keeping time_

_On a floating archipelago, step light_

_Watch your balance as they shift and sway_

_In the habitat of air, chose right_

_A partner you need to take wing_

The group of five could only blink. “Well, that is informative,” Harry said with sarcasm. “all I really got from that is that we are going to be competing up in the air.”

Hermione scribbled furiously on a sheet of parchment, making sure she copied down the verse properly before duplicating the sheet and handing one to each of the champions. “To my thinking, there are different fields in the air that you will have to compete in. A singular island, some sort of obstacle course, an island chain and then some other air habitat; none of that is particularly informative but it does suggest that your competition will be varied in this one.”

“I agree with Hermione,” Fleur nodded. “Each area will have a specific task that must be completed and if the first section is correct, we will be alone in the arena or competing in separate arenas at the same time.”

Cedric nodded, “Do you think the second section suggests flying through an obstacle course?”

“That was my conclusion,” Viktor nodded, “the question is how do we fly? By broom or creature? If by broom, will we have that provided or do we need to bring one with us?”

“It would even the field more if a broom was provided or it was by a creature,” Harry added, “though I think the creature aspect may be more likely in the fourth section as flying creatures have wings and people generally don’t, even if they are animagi.”

“True,” Cedric agreed, “Harry and Viktor both have Firebolts, which are better than any broom on the market so it would be to their advantage if they had to bring it or summon it; if they provided brooms, we could all be stuck on old Cleansweeps or Nimbus brooms.”

“It would be more likely for the Firebolt company to provide another Firebolt for the task.”

All of them agreed with Fleur’s assessment.

“Let’s see what else this chest is hiding,” Hermione suggested, knowing they could come up with numerous theories with so little information. “Earth next?”

Once again Fleur wrote out the Ogham rune and Cedric activated it. This time the chamber revealed the incantation for two spells, Expelliarmus and Stupefy.

“Two spells used when facing an opponent in non-lethal combat,” Viktor mused. “Do you think we will be dueling someone when we ‘stand alone’?”

“That’s all that comes to mind for me as well,” Cedric agreed. If the nodding heads of their companions were any indication then that was the best explanation any of them could come up with.

“Let’s just jump ahead to the next chamber, shall we?” Fleur suggested. She looked to the sides, “Does anyone have any idea which side should pertain to Fire and which to Water? If not, I am going to place the rune for water on the left as it usually stands for west and water and west both start with W.”

“Try it, if it doesn’t work, we can remove the symbol and switch runes.”

Placing the water rune on the left side seemed to be correct as the panel disappeared and revealed a map of sorts. This map showed islands of many sizes clustered and lined together. At one end of the map was initium, the other finis, the Latin words for start and end. There looked to be many paths that would lead to the end, the question was, which would be best. To choose the shortest route, which would certainly have more challenging obstacles or the long way, which would most likely be the easiest in terms of skill and danger.

Lastly, the rune of fire hid a passage of choice.

A choice must be made

One provides safety but no challenge

One favors honor but takes time

One generally unseen but quick to act

One breathes danger but high reward

A choice must be made, safety or score

Grimmauld Place

“Would you mind telling me why we are having a meeting of the House of Black?” Narcissa hissed. She did not like surprises, especially ones planned by Sirius. Her cousin was as likely to cause disaster as anything else.

“The meeting is about to start, Cissy,” Sirius said with a smirk, “everyone is here and I really only want to explain this once.”

“Why is it, cousin, that your advisor does not know what you wish to discuss?”

“She does not know because she does not think in the same way I do.”

“Thank Merlin for that,” she replied quickly, “I certainly hope I never think in the same way you do. The world would probably come to an abrupt end if I did.”

“There is no need to be cruel, Cissy.”

“I spent the morning regurgitating my breakfast, I am not feeling particularly kind at the moment.”

A sad smile fell over the proud man’s face, “Lily complained about morning sickness all the time when she was pregnant with Harry. James and I felt useless and the healer said there was little she could do, sometimes babies just cause their moms to be sick. If there is anything I can do, just ask me, alright?” He took her hand in his and squeezed it slightly, “I didn’t call this to undermine you, I called the meeting the way I did because I didn’t want to add anything to your plate right now. You are doing more than enough already. Your research into laws and the Wizengamot families is extensive but then you are also extremely involved with Evans House, Remus’s wedding, the kids and your own future. This meeting is to bring everyone up to speed and hopefully give you a little help.”

She nodded, “Thank you for that.” Narcissa glanced around the room and saw that all of the House of Black, save the children, were indeed there. “What of the Nott boys?”

“Sebastian is down in the lab researching potions, trying to determine what that version of the Dark Lord is having brewed. He is hoping to find out what it will do and what counter measures we might need to take to reverse, remove or neutralize whatever ‘improvements’ the potion will make to his newly formed body.”

“A sound plan. If he finds anything, get me a copy of his notes and I will give it to Severus, he may have additional ideas.”

Sirius nodded, “Ralston is looking through the library.” A frown crossed over his face, “He wants to find a way to remove his father’s control over them all through the family magic.”

“I thought the only way was for the Head to disown the individual through ritual means.”

Sirius sighed, “I told him as much but he is determined to free his brothers at the very least. He makes me ashamed to be an older brother. Ralston is risking himself for his brothers, while I abandoned mine.”

“Sirius,” Narcissa sighed, “Regulus was too cowed by Aunt Walburga. There was nothing you could have done. He didn’t ask for help and didn’t appear to be against the Dark Lord even to me. Yes, he was often afraid but what sheltered little lord isn’t when thrust into the world. You couldn’t have saved him even if you had stayed. Your mother probably would have killed you; that is why you left after all.”

He shook his head, “While that all sounds like a good excuse, it is just that, an excuse. I failed Regulus and I envy the relationship Ralston has with his brothers.”

“At least Regulus wasn’t a mass murderer,” Narcissa gave him a wry smile, “Bellatrix is my sister and I know without a doubt there is nothing anyone could have done for her.” 

“Sirius,” Andromeda peaked out of the meeting room into the hall that Narcissa and Sirius were still standing in. “Could we perhaps get this started? Dora has work later today and while the Ministry is understanding about certain things, family meetings don’t tend to be good enough excuses for newer employees to be late for work, especially in the DMLE.”

“Sorry, Andy,” he looked at his pocket watch, the one James’s father had given him when he turned seventeen, “You are correct, I should have started more than five minutes ago.” He gestured for Narcissa to proceed him into the room and shut the doors behind him. 

“I have called you all here today for a very serious reason,” he gazed at the members of his extended family sitting round the table. Pureblood, half-blood and muggleborn, it was all the same to him. Magic was magic, family was family. “The House of Black is at war and will be announcing Blood Feud against the House of Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort.”

As it was the House of Black, there were no gasps and they hid their surprise well. He did see fear in the younger eyes, confusion in the muggleborn spouses. “Our ally, the House of Potter is also entering into Blood Feud with said false Lord. Once this is announced at the next Wizengamot meeting, I expect the Houses of Greengrass and Longbottom to also enter into Blood Feud or at least offer support in our war with the being.”

Andromeda stood, “I, Andromeda, daughter of the House of Black, lend my wand to this Feud and will protect the family first and foremost.”

The others stood in quick order, lending their wands, minds and bodies to the war he had just announced. “I thank you, my family for your support.” He shook himself, allowing the formal façade to fade, “I do this for many reasons, the most important one being that I don’t think my godson should be the one we all look to for protection against this rising darkness. I also do this because of the momentum that we have in the Wizengamot. The people clearly believe in the world we are attempting to create and this is one more example of combining tradition and progress. I may not be able to stop this before my godson is called to arms but I will do everything I can, including begging you to act to prevent it.

“That being said, there are others who will be protected just as surely as we protect the children.” Sirius looked at Narcissa, “Cissy is pregnant and I will not allow her to be placed in a position that could harm her or the baby. Children are far too precious in this and every family to let harm come to one before it has taken its first breath. Andromeda, I would like you to accompany Cissy any time she leaves this house without Severus, Remus or myself; the two of you were always lethal together.” 

Sirius turned his attention back to Narcissa, “I do not want any arguing from you.”

“You will get none, cousin, though I do wish you would have discussed this with me before calling this meeting.”

Sirius nodded and continued, “Dora. Sorry love but it is your name and you are less hostile with that then the full thing,” the young woman scowled at him and her mother, “I would like you to coordinate with Amelia in guarding the Nott brothers. They can’t be taken by their father while here or in the interrogation rooms and they have direct Portkeys so there is no fear in transit, but that doesn’t mean Nott won’t blackmail someone into removing them from the Ministry during a disturbance of some sort.”

“Will, do. Madam Bones has been edgy, I think she has been worried about that sort of thing lately. It is hard to know who in the department might have ties to Tiberius Nott when Nott had so many connections before his illegal actions came to light. Not to mention the rest of the Ministry’s unknown loyalties.”

Sirius continued to dole out tasks for his family, covering all bases and taking advice where needed. He would not fail his family the way he did in the past. Harry would not be the one to face this darkness if he had anything to say about it.

…

Nymphadora Tonks had always wanted to be an Auror. Though the memories were fuzzy now, she remembered her ‘uncle’ Sirius from before she went to Hogwarts. Sirius had been a great uncle, goofy and loving but he had also been a great family member to her mother. He had always stood for being true to one’s self, citing the divide in the Black family as his reasoning. Sirius had also told her stories about his job as an Auror. She knew the stories were not as fantastic and grand as he made them seem, but his belief that his job was to protect people from the darkness had always inspired her.

Andromeda and Nymphadora had never believed Sirius guilty of the crimes he was incarcerated for, because of this injustice and the stories of bravery from her childhood she knew there was no other choice for her but to become an Auror. If she became an Auror, then innocent people would not get placed in Azkaban for crimes they didn’t commit. She always believed that if she became an Auror that people like Lucius Malfoy would have never been able to escape their crimes with the ‘Imperious’ excuse. 

Finally, she was an Auror. Well a Junior Auror but that was still an Auror. She had been picked by ‘Mad-eye’ Moody himself for special training. It seemed that Mad-Eye had seen through her ‘clumsy’ act. Most assumed that she was clumsy because of her Metamorphmagus abilities; her ever changing form meant her center of gravity changed too. That may have been the case when she was young and stayed around until she was about sixteen but after that she really didn’t trip over her own feet anymore, unless she wanted to that is. It was so much easier to trick someone if they underestimated you and what better way to prove them ‘right’ then to stumble around like an oaf? Moody saw through that though, and so did Kingsley. Moody had trained her first, helping her to hone that clumsy act but since he was at Hogwarts acting as security every day, Kingsley was leading her now. She was getting the best training because she had proved herself to be a good investigator with great potential and a well-honed code of honor. 

She just needed to get to know her new assignment.

Tonks walked down the hall toward the library at Grimmauld Place. She wanted to officially introduce herself to the Nott brothers since she would be keeping track of them when they were outside Grimmauld Place and she was sure that Madam Bones would approve Sirius’s plan to have her guard them while at the Ministry. Tonks knew she was low level, still technically in training. So, guard duty would not be out of place or draw attention with her connection to House Black and Harry Potter. It would be unheard of for her to betray the Ministry by allowing harm to come to their new witnesses. 

“Ral,” she heard someone sigh, “I think Lord Black is right, there is no way to break his hold over us; only the Family Head can remove someone from the family.”

“There has to be a way,” the other said with what sounded like angry frustration. “I know heirs have gotten out from under the thumbs of their Heads.”

“I’m fairly certain all the cases you are thinking of were when Heirs killed the Head to gain control of the family. That option won’t work for us because our Head is currently living with the reincarnated Dark Lord.”

“I have to figure this out.”

“I know how you feel but I don’t know what you expect to find. Lord Black told you there was no way that he knew of and if he doesn’t know of a way then there probably isn’t one. If there was a family that could do what you want it would be the Blacks but they don’t have any record of how it could happen.”

“How am I going to protect Theo?”

“By doing exactly what you are doing,” Tonks said stepping into the room, her hair maroon as opposed to her usual pink. “The Black family will help you and your brother. We may not be able to get you away from the family magic, not without sentencing from a full trial bound by magic but the wards we are keeping you under protect you for now.” She turned to the older Nott sibling, “If Uncle Sirius doesn’t know of a way to remove oneself from the family there isn’t one. Trust me he tried when he was a kid and he was running from this family’s crimes.” Turning her attention to the younger of the two she continued, “You are lucky that you and your brothers stand on the same side of this conflict. My mother and her sisters were wrenched apart because of this conflict. 

“Anyway,” she grinned, her hair changing back to her signature color, “I’m Tonks, don’t let my mother tell you differently.”

“Greetings, Miss Tonks, I am Ralston and this is my brother Sebastian. I saw you at the Ministry when I spoke to Madam Bones, correct?” 

“That you did, Ralston,” she nodded, “I am a Junior Auror and my partner is working closely with Madam Bones on this case. I will be with you whenever you move between here and the Ministry and I will also always be on hand while you are at the Ministry. Madam Bones and Lord Black don’t want to leave anything up to chance.” She turned to leave but paused, “I have to be heading to work but I want you both to remain cautious when outside this house. If you see, hear or feel anything off let me know immediately. You were raised in an environment that forced you to be on edge; your instincts are good and will be very useful. If you think something is off, it probably is. I can protect you better if we are all watching.” Then she grinned, “but don’t be afraid to have fun and feel free to prank Sirius mercilessly.”

The Burrow

The House of Weasley had always stood for what is right. They were aligned with the light against every dark lord that had arisen during the history of the family. A Weasley would always be an ally for the populace; an ally for children and hope. It was easy to see why a Weasley would defend a child with their life, they had so many and had always tended to have large families. 

Bill Weasley was proud to be a Weasley. The Weasley name may not say wealth and political power but it did say honor, and trust. He had worked to increase the image of his family, working hard to prove his worth to his peers and he was sure he was succeeding. Being a curse breaker for Gringotts showed his skill and knowledge without him having to say a word. His brothers, most of them at least, were proving themselves too. 

Charlie was moving up the ranks of the Romanian Dragon reserve. The second oldest Weasley boy had been ecstatic to be chosen to help transport the four dragons used for the Triwizard Tournament. His excitement was twofold; he was overjoyed because his appointment to the team meant that despite his young age, he was proving his worth and knowledge and could one day reach his ultimate goal. Additionally, his assignment meant he could see his family much sooner than anticipated and would get the opportunity to see his new ‘brother.’

Percy. Bill had been more than a bit worried about Percy in recent years. He had not been worried about Percy achieving his goals. No, his worry was more about how he got there. Percy had always shown a drive to achieve and prove. However, his recent actions bordered on the callous. Bill had worried about what Percy would have been willing to do, or who he would be willing to forget, to achieve his goals. It seemed the inclusion of one Harry Potter had changed Percy for the better.

The twins. There was honestly no one Bill was prouder of than his outrageous twin brothers. The wizarding world, and his mother, didn’t seem to realize that there were many ways to find success in life. Success didn’t mean fitting into a mold, working at the Ministry, or becoming a healer for everyone. True success was finding your own way; it meant using your strengths to find your way, not following someone else’s plans. Bill had chosen the goblins because they didn’t care what he wore, or how long his hair was, all they cared about was his work. The twins knew no one would appreciate their brand of genius so they were making their own way, forming their own business. Bill’s biggest point of pride with the twins was their actions toward Harry Potter. 

Ron and Ginny were another story. His youngest siblings were still healing. Their childhood had been different than the rest of the kids. Molly Weasley had been scared by the death of her brothers during the last war against the Dark Lord Voldemort and had taken protective parenting to a new level. 

With how young Ron was at the time and the fact that Ginny was only months old at the end of the conflict meant that she was already focused on them like a mother bear just out of hibernation and unfortunately, she basically never left that state of mind for her youngest two children. Ron would be best friends with the Boy-Who-Lived and Ginny would marry him. The combination of Lockhart and the cursed diary had turned life around for them and it looked like they may just live up to the Weasley name. Hopefully Ron would use his brain for something other than quidditch and chess.

Currently, four Weasley men sat around the kitchen table. The other members of the Weasley family were at school, save Molly who was shopping, which was why they were meeting then. Arthur Weasley had been taking more notice of the events at the Wizengamot, something he had forgotten about since his children were born. Now that all of them were at school, and things were actually changing he was once again taking note of the trends and changes. As such, Lord Black’s announcement of Blood Feud caused Arthur to think about his family’s stand and actions in the coming darkness.

“I have asked you here, the children of this house that have graduated Hogwarts, to discuss the Weasley family’s response to the Blood Feud against the House of Riddle.” He met his sons’ eyes one by one, assessing, “Traditionally, Weasleys have stayed away from familial Feuds because the reason for such Feud is often unknown or for reasons that have no bearing on this House. That is not the case in this instance. This Feud was announced because of Thomas Riddle’s past and future attempts to rule Magical Britain. It was brought forward because of his crimes against House Potter and House Black. We, the members of House Weasley, have given our loyalty and love to the Heir of House Potter; the sons of this house have adopted Harry Potter in heart and action. The question I bring to this table is, do we keep with Weasley tradition or do we answer the call to Feud?”

Bill stood from his seat, carefully looking at both of his present brothers and his father before answering, “I am not one to stand by and let darkness grow. I am also not one to join a personal grudge. In this case, I can see only one path that will appease my conscience, and that is to answer the call and announce that this House declares Blood Feud as well.” He waited a moment, letting his meaning and wording settle, “I believe I speak for Fred and George when I say that Tom Riddle has wronged a member of this family; Harry Potter may not be a brother by blood but he is a brother by heart and I will do all I can to see that he survives this battle. Let us also not forget what the diary he dealt with did to Ginny.”

It was Percy who stood next, “I too think that the House of Weasley should join this Feud. Harry Potter has done much for this family. He has accepted each of us for exactly who we are and helped us grow. I am a better person now than I was and the main reason I am the way I am now is because of Harry; he showed me that there is more to life than being successful and respected by all, he showed me that family is what matters.” Percy let out an almost tired sigh, “I am a little ashamed of the way I acted when I was given my Prefects badge. It took Ginny being lost and then saved for me to see the error in my ways. I can now see the things I probably would have missed because of my need to prove my importance. If they were here Fred and George would demand to throw their hats in the ring against Riddle so I vote this way to honor Harry, the twins and myself.”

Charlie stood with a wry smile, “I am a Weasley, so my vote should be obvious. I will always do what is right over what is easy. It would be easy to follow tradition, but the right thing to do in this situation is to oppose the Dark Lord who won’t stay dead.” He glanced first at Bill then at Percy, “I may not know Harry as well as the rest of the family but I do know my brothers; if the twins, Bill and Percy side with Harry Potter then he is deserving of my allegiance.”

Arthur nodded solemnly, “I am proud of my sons. I too think that the right thing to do would be to join forces with the Houses of Black and Potter against this darkness. The House of Weasley has taken the easy route for far too long simply for the sake of tradition.” 

“What will mom say?” Percy asked.

“I am sure your mother will not be pleased but in this she is outvoted.”

Bill nodded, “Dad’s right. We can’t let mom stop us from doing what we know is right. To be honest, whether the Weasley’s chose this path or not, I would be joining forces with the Houses of Black and Potter.” There was understanding in his father’s eyes. “Gringotts and her employees have been at war with Tom Riddle since just after the diary incident; as an employee I am duty bound to help bring an end to this man. Outside that, I would fight for Harry regardless. I would do it to protect the boy that Fred and George call brother, I would do it for the kid Percy is protective of, but most importantly I would do it because I care for Harry.”

“Well said, brother,” Charlie rolled his tense shoulders. “I can’t give you all of my time but I will speak to my superiors about this situation. There may be a way for me to take some time off when things start to get dicey.”

“Thank you, Charlie, but we don’t want you to jeopardize your career.”

“I won’t, dad. My bosses know that family is important and they know just how much mine means to me. Plus, they were rather impressed with Harry at the first task. He would be an asset for the reserve so they may just suggest it in hopes I can further interest him in Dragons.

“You have my wand father, as well as anything I can learn from my work.”

Arthur nodded and looked to the youngest of his present children, “I think it is time to share our fears with your brothers.”

Percy bit his lip, unsure how to begin. “There have been some strange things happening in my department at the Ministry. As you know, I work in International Affairs, under Mr. Crouch. In recent months, Crouch has been making odd choices.”

“Like the world cup?” Charlie asked.

“Exactly,” Percy took a sip of his water, “Crouch’s plans for security were faulty so Madam Bones adjusted them to more consistently guard against incidents. On the day of the event, Crouch moved forces around so that there was far too much security around certain areas, particularly those where rich or powerful people would be and little to no security in the areas housing the general population and the foreign contingent. This change made stopping the attackers that much more difficult when things went sideways.

“Then there is the missing paperwork. I have had to redo a number of forms that Crouch claimed were already done but later either came up missing or the department they were meant for never received in the first place.”

“He has also been even more antisocial than usual. Bartemius isn’t a nice man on his best day, but he does at least pretend to have respect for department heads. He has missed a number of meetings or shown up so late that there are only a few minutes of slotted time left for the meeting.”

“Then there was the way he insulted the Bulgarian Minister at the World Cup.”

“He insulted the Bulgarian Minister?” Bill was astounded.

“Apparently, he forgot how to speak Bulgarian. Instead of greeting him and congratulating him on his teams’ success, he told him his wife looked like a donkey.”

“How do you confuse those two sentences?” Charlie wondered.

“I haven’t a clue; I looked up all possible ways to greet someone in Bulgarian but could find no way for it to remotely sound like you were insulting someone’s wife.”

“The odd thing is,” Arthur continued, “that sometimes he is the Bartemius everyone knows and tolerates. One day he is the same old hard-ass, then next he is rude and licks his lips far too much.”

“He has been ill a lot too,” Percy agreed with his father. “Half the time his eyes are glassy or bloodshot.”

“Does it look like he has been drinking?” Charlie wondered. Bloodshot eyes to him tended to mean the wizard in question had a few too many and was out of hangover potion.

Percy shook his head, “No, I wouldn’t say that. He just seems distracted and inattentive; the red eyes seem more in line with lack of sleep.”

“I still say it sounds like he’s had too much to drink.”

“If it were anyone else,” Arthur looked at his second oldest, “I would agree with you, but Barty has a very strict one drink maximum and even that is only on Friday or Saturday nights. He became even more strict with himself after finding out exactly what his son was up to in the last war; he had known about the drinking and partying his son got up to, he did not know about his allegiance to the Dark Lord. In a way, Barty blames the drinking for his son’s downfall.”

Bill ran a hand through his unbound hair, “I would say that Crouch bears watching but I know you are already doing that. Have you brought your concerns to anyone else?”

“Amelia and I have spoken a few times about his odd behavior,” Arthur nodded. “Of course, Crouch has never really liked Amelia because she replaced him, even if there was a temporary head between his transfer and her appointment. He thinks she stole his chances of becoming Minister, not his son’s illegal activities. I have been relaying anything Percy notices to her, but with him being at the castle most of the time she can’t corroborate or observe for herself.”

“And Crouch has avoided Moody like the plague while he is at the school,” Percy added. 

“Would my observations help?” Bill wondered. “I am at the school from time to time and I could potentially find a way to make my being there more often explainable.”

“I would feel better having you there. I know Professor Lupin is there all the time and Professor Snape is a force to be reckoned with but you are my brother and you can do things they can’t.”

“I’ll be at the school for all tournament events.”

“To be fair,” Percy grinned, “you basically are there for everything.”

“I didn’t attend the last dueling event, and I really haven’t been paying any attention to Crouch. I assumed, despite his poor attitude most of the time, he would be the one person who would not cheat or endanger a student. He is a known stickler for rules and regulations.”

Arthur observed his sons, “Bill, I think the most important thing is for you to be around Harry during his tasks. I don’t think anything is going to happen outside the major Triwizard tasks but it wouldn’t hurt for you to be there for the rest of it. Percy, continue to observe, document and report. Charlie, I know your wand will be there when it is needed.” He reached his hand out and touched each of his sons on the shoulder. “I am proud of my sons. Together, we will help bring an end to this evil.”

A Manor House

Lord Voldemort sat in his throne, staring down at his followers with contempt. There was much in this life that was disappointing and his followers were currently at the top of the list for his disappointments. Tiberius had become more of a problem in his old age. Voldemort remembered him being much more cunning and intelligent when they were at school. There was little that could surprise the Tiberius of his youth, he was always one step ahead and could manipulate just about anyone into doing something that would help him. His recent failures proved the old adage that the mind was often the first to go. At least Tiberius could still talk his way into or out of just about anything, within reason.

The other man at his feet was another story. Lord Voldemort had been surprised when Tiberius led Yaxley into his ‘throne room’ that morning. He didn’t really remember Yaxley, he honestly wasn’t sure if he knew him at all before the ring Horcrux had been created, but he was described as useful in his notes. Yaxley was a loyal little idiot, as well as an observant one. It should have concerned the resurrected Dark Lord that Tiberius’s little helper had no loyalty to his other self but with the actions that had been described to him so far, his disloyalty was almost understandable. What was concerning was that Yaxley appeared to be more loyal to the Nott Head than himself.

Both men would need to be watched.

“Yaxley,” he glared down at the sniveling man, “what are my shade’s plans for Potter and this tournament?”

The man gulped, “The tournament was a convenient way to bring Potter to him. Barty Jr is in a place that allows him to alter things to their advantage and the most important one is to change the goal of the final task. Apparently, the Triwizard cup is supposed to be a Portkey that takes the winner to the judges to receive the other prizes; Crouch will alter the Portkey to take Potter to a different place. They need Potter to give him a body.”

“Have you heard anything about the method?”

“It is supposed to be a potion ritual. It didn’t sound particularly complicated; Crouch should have the skills to make the base potion with the shade’s guidance. Most of the ingredients necessary for the base, which takes three months to prepare, are readily available at any apothecary, I believe only one was concerning but with access to Crouch Snr that worry is all but negated. The final part of the potion requires three specific ingredients and Potter’s blood is one of them, and the only one they don’t have access to right now.”

The Dark Lord straightened slightly, “Why was Potter chosen? What makes his blood the only blood that works?”

Yaxley bit his lip, wondering how to word this. “Well, from what I heard, the potion requires the blood of an enemy, or was it the enemy? Anyway, Potter is his greatest enemy apparently.”

“Blood of the enemy,” the Dark Lord mused. “Blood of the enemy. Perhaps they intend that potion.” He returned his attention back to Yaxley and Nott, “Did he perhaps mention the bone of the father and the flesh of the servant as well?”

“He did, my Lord.”

“That was the conclusion I came to as well, My Lord.”

The Dark Lord glared down at Nott; there was no need for him to be in the conversation at the moment and his inclusion was really just to make him seem important. 

He needed to think. Perhaps creating Horcruxes hadn’t been the best idea after all; the potion his shade was using was not the best option for recreating a body. That particular ritual potion was almost as useless as drinking Unicorn blood to sustain life. The potion did not return the host to its original or last body, it created something almost new and the body required much maintenance over the first year or so to sustain complex magic. If this succeeded his counterpart would not be able to do much in the way of attempting to rule the magical world for the first nine months because of the instability of the body the ritual would provide. “Interesting. What animal was chosen for the base?”

Yaxley blinked, “Animal, Sir?”

“The base requires an animal sacrifice. This sacrifice is the last step of the base potion before the primary ritual can be performed; an animal’s life blood is to be drained over the potion slowly for three hours, ending at the stroke of midnight. The animal chosen will influence the appearance of the produced body if the ritual succeeds. A poor choice in sacrifice will also decrease the body’s longevity; certain animals can conduct magic better than others.”

“I am not positive, my Lord, but I believe there was a discussion about finding a suitable serpent. I believe his, your snake familiar had much to add to that discussion.”

“There are worse choices. Snakes are one of the most magical species that have a mundane version so that is a plus to the choice, especially when combined with the fact that we are Parselmouths. The biggest problem is that snakes are genetically more different from humans than is advisable in this situation, the body won’t be as stable and it will make him appear less human than other options.” 

He finally turned his attention to Nott fully. It was too bad he had a need for the man at the moment, it would have been much more amusing if he could leave him in a state of insecurity. “Tiberius, how long did it take you to figure out what I had done?”

“I had my first clue while Malfoy ranted about what he had done with your diary from school. A little research into the oldest texts and I verified what had been done. All told, it did not take me long. I spent more time finding where you hid the ring than I did researching the possibilities.” He paused, apparently to collect his thoughts, “It was lucky that your magical signature is tied to the mark or I would not have made it out of that shack in one piece. Might I ask why you want to know this?”

“I wonder why my shade chose this method of resurrection as opposed to the method you used to bring life to the piece of my soul that was in the ring. There is a method to return a shade to a body using a Horcrux that is far less complicated than rituals and takes less time than the one used to create this body. Using the shade and Horcrux also has less complications with the body once it has been created.” He glanced at his nails, wondering if he should share the last bit, he saw no reason not to share the problems his other self would face with the two minions before him; they were loyal to him and they really had nowhere else to go because they were both wanted by the Ministry. “If the shade is combined with a Horcrux the pieces of souls are joined once more and a bit of sanity will return to the individual who originally split himself. Creating a Horcrux has many benefits but there is one great disadvantage, splitting the soul can lessen the abilities of a sane mind and it seems to me that my shade has lost much of his rational mind.”

“Why do you say that, my lord?”

“The choice of Potter as THE enemy is foolish. Potter is a child and, to my thinking, had little to do with the destruction of my mortal body. It was probably some old magic his parents researched as a last resort. No, my greatest enemy has been and will always be Albus Dumbledore. That man did not trust me when I was eleven and trusted me even less after I left Hogwarts. I am powerful, as you well know, and there are few who can match me in strength of magic; far fewer can match me in experience with different types of magic. 

“Potter could be powerful, which seems reasonable to assume if you read about his success in the Triwizard tournament, but he cannot match me in experience and knowledge. There is only one man who could hope to match me in this way and it is Dumbledore. The ritual potion does not care which enemy you chose and in this case Dumbledore’s magic would be a boon to the shade. Dumbledore’s core is at its greatest, Potter’s is still maturing so it is still growing and may not add the amount of magic needed to sustain the body properly once created. Taking into account how experienced Dumbledore is, any reasonably powerful adult wizard who opposes my rule would be a better choice than Potter; Bones or Black would be intelligent substitutes.”

“What should we do about this, my Lord?” Tiberius wondered.

“I think for now we will wait. If my other half succeeds, then he may be a useful distraction.” Voldemort rose and walked to the nearest window, “I will also be doing a great deal of research into whether or not I can use his magic to increase my own.”

“You would oppose yourself?”

“Do you question me, Tiberius?” he saw the man tremble in fear. “There can be only one ruler of magic and that will be me. Of the two versions of me, I hold the greater part of our soul. My mind is less damaged by the creation of the Horcruxes and my reasoning is not clouded by nonsense. I will be the ruler here. I think it is time to find my other Horcruxes and return the pieces of my soul to me.” He glanced at the men around him, “I need you to find me a suitable sacrifice. We will be taking a trip to a place from my childhood.”


	36. Up In The Air

**Hogwarts Grounds**

“Good morning Champions,” Ludo Bagman smiled at the four students standing before him. “Today is the day, the fifth task of the Triwizard tournament.”

The four champions, their headmasters, Percy Weasley and Ludo Bagman stood in a tent that had been erected not far from the green houses. Their competition grounds for the day were taking place above the open grounds. The spectators were once again seated in the stadium seats at the quidditch pitch but most of the task would not be taking place there.

“Now, only Mister Potter managed to complete the previous task so only Mister Potter knows anything about what is coming.” Bagman grinned with childlike glee at this, it was apparent where his bets would be. “There are four fields of play for you today and each will take place well above the ground but only one of those challenges will allow for the use of a broom. It was decided that you will each compete at a different arena, at different times, but will not be able to watch each other. We wouldn’t want anyone to have an unfair advantage, would we? And of course, the spectators would not be happy if they had to split their attention.

“The first arena is the one I have already mentioned. You will have to fly your way through an obstacle course on the Fireblast provided for the task and the fastest time will receive the highest score for this quarter of the task. The next will take place above the quidditch pitch. You will stand on a small floating platform and all around you will be dueling dummies set to attack you. For five minutes you will have to dodge, shield and counter to try to stay one the platform and stay conscious; the champion who stays up the longest will score the best or if more than one of you complete the five minutes the judges will decide who was the most efficient. The dummies will only be casting stunners.”

So far, they had guessed fairly correctly. 

“The next is another type of obstacle course, this one comprised of various platforms that you have to cross. There are many paths that could get you to the end of the island chain, and it will be judged on time but your decisions and spell choice could also increase your final total. Remember, the shortest path is not always the best choice.” Bagman wiggled his eyebrows as if to suggest his advice was best listened to. “Lastly, there are magical flying creatures that you will have to choose from. This will be judged both on time and on the choice of creature, the choice you make will be important to your score. Each creature is more dangerous than the last. You will then fly that creature to three different platforms, collect three disks and then fly to the end point.”

Percy stepped forward. His boss was at the quidditch pitch, ensuring the dueling dummies were set properly. “You will start at different stations but will not compete simultaneously as the judges do need to watch each attempt at each arena. The challenges will happen in the same order each time so you may not have time to rest between attempts. The first challenge will always be the platform islands, followed by the broom course, then the dueling and finally the creature course.” He met each of the champions eyes, “In this bag, I have four disks with one through four labeled on them. The champion who draws one will compete in the order I just told you. The person who draws the two will start at arena two and end on arena one. I am sure you all understand what the order for three and four will be?” He paused before extending the bag, “Miss Delacour, you will have first draw as you are currently in fourth.

In the end, Harry drew the one. Fleur drew the two. Cedric would be going third and Viktor would be the fourth in the first round of the challenge.

“Good show, good show,” Bagman cheered. “Well, Harry, my boy we should head to the pitch.” Bagman slung an arm around the youngest champion’s shoulder, “Weasley, please show the other champions to their starting arenas.”

“Mister Bagman, Cedric Diggory is the champion that will be dueling first,” Percy sighed. “Harry needs to come with me to the platform course.”

“Oh,” Bagman deflated slightly, “right you are, Weasley. I’ll see you later, Harry.” Bagman waved to Harry before rushing out of the tent, the confused and amused headmasters following closely behind him.”

“Is it just me or is Bagman really obsessed with me?”

Cedric shook his head, “It’s not just you, Harry. That man has some of the worst Boy-Who-Lived fanaticism I’ve ever seen.”

The other champions nodded while Percy shook his head. “That’s not it. He is hoping Harry will win the tournament so he can win back some money off the bets he has placed. Bagman owes the Goblins a great deal of money because he lost a very large sum during the world cup. He still owes Fred and George for the bet they placed with him. The odds that Harry will win are lower than any of the rest of you, mostly because of his age, so Bagman placed a very high dollar bet that Harry would win the whole tournament.”

“And why is he allowed to continue judging?” Fleur wondered.

“Bagman has been fair in his judging,” Percy shrugged. “He has consistently judged everyone higher than the other judges and honestly no one wrote anything into his contract that prevents him from betting, he just had to promise to judge fairly. It would be too much of a situation to replace him at this point.”

“Part of me wants to throw this just so he can’t profit off of me but Fred and George would kill me.”

“True,” Percy nodded with a grin, “alright you four, the challenge needs to begin soon. Cedric, head to the pitch, the rest of you come with me.”

…

“Welcome back Witches, Wizards, students and family members.” Bagman was having a good day. “Three of the four challenges of this task have been completed and the final round is about to begin. To recap, Harry Potter, Cedric Diggory and Viktor Krum have completed the first challenge; Mister Diggory was the fastest but was injured most severely and Mister Potter has the slowest time so far. 

“Mister Diggory is the only champion who has not completed the broom course, it will be tough for him to beat Mister Potter’s time. Miss Delacour showed that Mister Potter isn’t the only fast flier by beating Mister Krum through the course, but only by a quarter of a second. I wonder if that was due to their different sizes.” It was true, Krum seemed to have struggled to keep his bulkier figure compact during the sharp turns and even scraped the side of a few of the rings they had to fly through, which probably slowed him just enough for the Beauxbatons champion to edge him out for the second fastest time. All in all, the three had remarkably close times. Harry had only beat Fleur by a second and a half.

“We are waiting to see Mister Krum here in the dueling arena for his final shot today. As you all know, Miss Delacour managed to last the full five minutes while both Hogwarts competitors were stunned before the five minutes were up. Mister Potter was stunned just shy of the four-minute mark and Mister Diggory at three minutes and forty-six seconds, placing him in last for that course though between the two Hogwarts champions, Mister Diggory relied on more magical means to stay conscious while Mister Potter was much more mobile.

“And finally, Mister Potter will have to choose one of the magical creatures to fly him to the three disks he has to collect for this round. Mister Krum chose the Hippogriff, the level two creature, and was relatively quick. Mister Diggory also chose the Hippogriff but was slower than mister Krum. Miss Delacour was the quickest and chose to fly on the Aethonan, the level one creature. Which creature will Mister Potter choose?

“Now for the first task of the round,” all eyes turned to the large screens that were levitated to the center of the pitch. “Miss Delacour will have to do what her three competitors did before her. She has to make her way from one end of the islands to the other. Remember folks, some of those islands are not stable or have traps on the surface. The longer your route the safer you will be, but having the fastest time will give you the highest score.”

On the screens, you could see Fleur take her place on the first platform. 

The task had taken less than ten minutes for all the previous champions, in fact, all of the different parts arena challenges had taken less than ten minutes, most had taken less than five. Harry had taken the longest at seven minutes and seven seconds. Viktor had taken five minutes and twelve seconds while Cedric had completed the course in four minutes and one second but had sprained his ankle, and received several cuts.

“Miss Delacour,” Bagman continued. The young woman looked right to the recording device and nodded. The crowd cheered and she smiled briefly while waving. “Your chance at this course will begin in five… four… three… two… ONE!!!”

As Bagman shouted Fleur took a running leap, landing on the closest floating island. 

The Beauxbatons champion was angry with herself. She had been so sure coming into this tournament that she would be superior because at school she always had been. Yes, she had a run of exceedingly bad luck, like in the last task when she didn’t smell the flammable gas fast enough but she also realized that she had just assumed this tournament would be like everything else in her life and would come relatively easy. She assumed that she would breeze by, waving to her competitors from the finish line. This had been the ultimate humbling experience.

She pushed herself harder, feeling the platform beneath her begin to crumble but it would not matter, she was moving fast enough that she would be off the island before it fell. 

There wasn’t going to be anything left unused anymore. Like most that had something different, she tended to hide it, but no more. Today she would show the champions, show her school, show the audience what a Veela could do.

Fleur felt her foot begin to slip beneath her as she landed on the second island of her trek across the field. She would not go down. The fire that was always just below the surface began to boil over and for once, she let it out instead of viciously squashing it. 

Her foot slipped a bit on her second step and she knew she would be going down, that is if she didn’t fly.

A moment after it began it was over. Fleur Delacour, who appeared as though she was going to fall and potentially slide right off the platform was instead flying. Her arms sprouted feathers, her features turned a bit birdlike and then she was flying at high speed toward the last island in the chain of floating platforms. 

The audience roared in excitement. Where before they saw potential disaster, now they saw something few could admit to seeing. Witches and Wizards could not fly without aid, but Fleur Delacour had sprouted wings and had changed the whole tone of the day. In a record eighty-four seconds, Fleur Delacour completed her final challenge of the fifth task.

“Merlin!” Bagman shouted while watching her feet touch down on the large screens. “Fleur Delacour has just proven her Veela ancestry by transforming into her avian form and blowing the competition away on this challenge of the task. That is both the quickest and the safest anyone has been on the task. Well played, Miss Delacour.” The Beauxbatons students and spectators roared again as the young woman bowed toward the recording mirror floating over her head, currently showing her normal form. They were proud of their champion’s showing.

“Well done indeed! Now how is Mister Diggory going to fare in the speed flying course.” The screens switched to the flying course to show Cedric sitting on his broom smiling and waving to the recording mirror. “Now, as many of you know, Cedric Diggory is the Hufflepuff seeker when regular school quidditch is in play so he is talented on a broom and used to quick speeds. My notes say he has only ever lost to Mister Potter on the pitch, so let’s see just how quick he is.” Bagman smiled as the crowd cheered again; on the screen, Cedric blushed. 

If you listened, you could hear a man yell “That’s my son!”

“As you all know, Mister Diggory will have to fly around the course three times, flying through each of the seven rings and slalom around a total of thirty-five posts throughout the course each time. If he misses a post or ring, he will be given an additional half second added to his time, and with the times already posted, that extra time is worth quite a lot.” Cedric leaned down on his broom making himself as aerodynamic as possible. “Cedric Diggory, your time will begin in five… four… three… two… ONE!!!”

Cedric pushed his broom forward as fast as he was capable of making it accelerate. This course reminded him vaguely of the one he competed in at the World cup. He swerved in and out of the first set of posts then banked into a sharp right to slip through the first ring to then instantly have to bank back to the left to swerve around a single post into the first corner which required a dive to fly under a post. Up again and then slaloming though a dozen or so posts, followed by a steep climb to, just barely, slide through a hoop. The next hoop was directly after and required another steep dive to make it and if you didn’t dive at the right angle, you would miss the hoop so Cedric let up on his speed; a portion of a second lost due to speed here could save him a time penalty if he missed the hoop. The final part of the course was the last twenty posts, subtly climbing up, swinging back and forth to pull around each one. The challenge was, they were different distances between each post so it wasn’t something he could relax into. 

As Cedric rounded to the start of the course again, he took the chance of checking his time. ‘Not bad,’ he thought, ‘but not good enough to catch Harry.’

The crowd was going wild. Cedric Diggory was going fast enough to potentially beat Viktor Krum. The Hufflepuff pushed himself to go faster. 

Cedric felt his shoulder brush a number of the posts this time, but that didn’t matter. As long as he passed on the correct side, he could touch them all he wanted. When he got to the double ring section he didn’t let up as much as he had last time, diving at a steeper angle and trying to channel Harry and his crazy quidditch moves to achieve the tight angles.

His second lap was better. Cedric knew he still wasn’t fast enough to surpass Harry, and doubted he could beat any of the other champions at this point. Hearing Bagman recap the time differences, he had been surprised how well Fleur had flown; Harry beating Viktor was not hard for the Hufflepuff to picture, the young Gryffindor was that good, but hearing that the only female competitor beating Krum had Cedric thinking that he would come in last for this. Of course, he wasn’t going to go down without a fight either. 

Twist, twist, dive, climb. Cedric pushed himself well past his comfort zone, hoping that he didn’t embarrass himself. As he came into the home stretch, he laid himself flat on his broom almost needing to close his eyes to stop the sting of the wind. 

He flew past the finish line slowly decreasing his speed as he searched the screens for his final time and hopefully, he would be able to see where he stacked up.

“AMAZING!!” Bagman screamed. “All our champions were just amazing witches and wizards. Not one of them had a single penalty for a missing ring or post. On top of that, they all flew within three seconds of each other. The final standings for this challenge of the fifth task are Harry Potter in first, completing the course in two minutes fifty-nine and a half seconds. Fleur Delacour flew the course in three minutes and one second. Mister Krum managed at three minutes ones and a quarter seconds and Mister Diggory was at three minutes one and four tenths of a second! Amazing showing everyone. All this flying makes me miss my broom.”

Cedric flew down to the ground to find Fleur waiting for him. “You flew well. I am glad I got to watch at least part of this task.”

“Thanks, but I still came in last.”

“You lost to Viktor Krum, Harry Potter and the fluke that was my run. I have never flown that fast in my life. Less than a second separated us, Cedric.”

He smiled and nodded, “Let’s go watch Viktor get stunned, shall we?”

Fleur laughed, “I would greatly enjoy that.”

“Alright everyone,” Bagman said as the screens rose and moved to the outside of the stadium. “Now it is time for Mister Krum to face off against the charmed dueling dummies. In order to win, Mister Krum has to stay standing for the entire five minutes. If he does, it will go down to spell choice and skill to determine who gets the top marks for this challenge.”

Viktor stood on a three-foot platform; his wand held loosely in his hand as he scanned the arena. Surrounding him were twelve dueling dummies, each on their own platform. He knew they would all be casting at random, from all sides. It would take skill and instinct to get him through the next five minutes. 

“Mister Krum, you may begin in five… four… three… two… ONE!!!”

Viktor instantly started casting, shooting disarming charms at three dummies in quick succession. He saw two spin before having to duck and roll from a stunner coming at him from the right. Coming out of the roll he shielded, using a shield spell that was dome shaped and covered him on all sides. Quickly, he scanned the arena; the three he had sent disarming charms seemed to be frozen but the other nine were still casting. He let the shield drop, side stepping the curses coming toward him, once more casting a flurry of disarming spells as well as a pair of stunners of his own. Two more dummies stopped moving but movement out of the corner of his eye alerted him to the fact that the original three dummies were back in play.

“That’s what caught me off guard,” Cedric admitted as he stood watching Viktor with Fleur. “I forgot to keep track of how long the dummies had been out of commission. One I had stunned caught me from behind after it re-animated.”

“They did not return at the same speed,” Fleur added, “the longer the duel went the shorter the time they were out of the fight.”

“I noticed but I still didn’t keep good enough track. Harry still beat me according to Bagman.”

“I think it is because he has such a well-developed instinct for battle. His stories make me think he is always waiting for something to come up behind him.”

“You are probably right.”

Above, Krum was trying to keep track of which dummies he had been temporarily out of the fight and which he was still facing. He was irritated that the dummies kept reviving much more quickly. Sensing something coming from behind, he dropped to the ground and rolled over so he was on his back. He sent off a few stunners in the direction of the blue decorations in the pitch. 

He was counting down in his head when it happened. He knew he was fast approaching the five-minute mark; he was only seconds away and then there was nothing.

On the ground, Fleur squealed, “I did it! I beat you all in this one too.” 

Cedric smiled as she bounced around in a small circle, giggling. He knew she was frustrated with her own performance in the tournament so far, she needed a win for her own self-esteem. “Congratulations, you got him by three seconds.” Viktor had been stunned at four minutes and fifty-seven seconds.

“It appears you have defeated me again, Miss Delacour,” Viktor bowed his head as he stepped up to the two of them after being revived. “Luck has not been mine today.”

Cedric put a hand on his shoulder, “Don’t feel too bad about it, Viktor, I feel like that every time I face Harry on the pitch. Heck, I feel like that facing Harry in this tournament.”

“There will always be someone better, as my mother always says,” Fleur nodded. “I have seen proof of that. I was sure I would win everything easily only to find myself outclassed at every turn.”

“This is true,” Viktor sighed, “I was just hoping to have a few years before a young seeker came to dethrone me, I am barely eighteen after all.”

Cedric looked at him, “Viktor, when did you turn eighteen?”

“In January.”

“And you didn’t tell us? I am sure Harry would have insisted on celebrating.”

“Yes, Cedric, blame it on the one not here.” Fleur rolled her eyes, “I am sure we all would have wanted to at least wish you the best on that day, but he is right that Harry most likely would have wanted to do something special for you, that did not include the media. He does understand your derision of the press.”

“Perhaps I will apologize to him, but I think it should wait until after he finishes this task. He is supposed to begin shortly if I am not mistaken.”

“You are correct, Viktor.” Cedric grinned. “Now, we know that we have missed your birthday, mine was in September before any of you arrived and Harry’s is in July. When is your birthday, Fleur?”

“Why would you like to know, Mister Diggory?”

“I would like to know so I can see if we can celebrate at least one of our birthdays during the school year. Or am I mistaken that we aren’t friends?”

Fleur shook her head, “My birthday is in May, and if you insist on celebrating it, then I think we should celebrate all of our birthdays instead of just mine. We have, after all, missed two and one will happen long after we have returned to our families.”

Before Cedric could reply, Viktor interrupted, “are the two of you planning on watching Harry compete or are you going to stand around planning birthday parties all day?”

“ALRIGHT, ladies and gentlemen. The final part of the fifth task is about to begin. In a moment, young Harry Potter will be led onto the starting platform. Once on the platform he will have to choose his method of transportation, as it were, and then collect the disks and bring them to the finish line. When the third disk rests on the peg, the challenge will be complete and the task will be over.”

The viewing screens moved back to the center of the pitch, floating into place so that every person in the stadium could see perfectly, well except for the few sitting behind Hagrid and Madame Maxime. The three other champions had snuck up into the stadium and were hiding among Harry’s friends and family, they were the least likely to care or make a scene with the champions there. 

“Which one do you think he will choose?” Cedric asked the other champions.

“He is a fourth-year, the Aethonan would be the safest.”

“I disagree, Fleur, Harry is brave and has seen death, I think he will choose the Thestral.”

“Hagrid taught Care last year,” Cedric said considering the options, “I know they didn’t cover them in Harry’s year but I heard a rumor that Hagrid had Harry and his friends down to meet his Hippogriff friend and one of them let him ride. That would be my vote.”

“Griffin,” Fred, George, Neville and Draco said as one. 

The three champions looked at the younger boys, “Why do you say that?” Cedric asked.

“He’s Harry Potter,” Draco said as if that was an actual explanation.

“He’s a Gryffindor,” Fred grinned.

“A true Gryffindor,” George agreed, “and Gryffindor’s symbol is a Griffin.”

“George, it’s not…”

“Hush, Hermione, we’re trying to make a point here.” Luna’s lion head hat standing just a few feet away to refute the jokester’s claims.

“I think you should just wait and see,” Neville had the most mischievous glint in his eyes as he looked at the other champions. “Hopefully, I also win a bet today.”

Fred and George looked at each other and as one said, “CHANGE NOW.”

“I’m not there yet,” George shook his head.

“You’re closer than me!”

Neville and Draco laughed as the two started to argue in whispers before giving each other a high five. “I knew it would be Harry.”

Hermione sighed, shaking her head, “Boys.”

“Mister Potter,” Bagman continued after having to wait while the creature experts ensured that the four magical beasts were unable to attack each other but could still leave if the champion picked them. “Your final challenge will begin in, five… four… three… two… ONE!!!”

Harry stepped out onto the platform to find four different, flying creatures; one in each corner. Aethonan, flying horses, were the most docile of the creatures represented here and also the most likely to allow a rider. He took a step toward the large, winged horse before stopping and looking toward the Hippogriff. Hagrid had been so excited to share his love for misunderstood creatures and he had told Harry all about them. All it took was respect.

The fact that he could see the one in the far-left corner made him think he should choose that one. Harry didn’t think the other champions had seen death, well maybe Viktor, but not the others. None of them would have chosen the skeletal horse in that case and they were supposed to be extremely fast. If he remembered correctly, Luna had talked about them a few times and said they were rather sweet creatures.

No, Harry turned his gaze to the final creature. He had to choose the Griffin. The Griffin was the most dangerous, but also the most noble. A mixture of eagle and lion. Lord of the sky and king of the jungle. Protector and leader. His inner animal, his other self. 

Harry and the noble creature made eye contact and, for Harry, time stood still. He understood now. He could not move, could not blink. After an eternity that played out in the span of a breath, he took a slow, confident step toward his companion. Harry placed his hand on its eagle cheek and the griffin bent its bird-like front leg, lowering its body to allow Harry an easier time mounting. He swung himself onto its back, feeling the lion muscles move underneath him; knowing for the first time how they felt when they stretched and contracted. 

“Let’s do this, my brother.”

The Griffin let out a mighty cry, spread its wings and took flight.

Harry pressed his right leg down a bit harder and the majestic creature below him veered to the right, toward the first and closest platform. 

Below, a man licked his lips as he watched the youngest champion fly around on the back of a Griffon. He was furious. Only his master should have such an honor. Only his master was capable of understanding and appreciating that honor. Only his master was worthy of ruling such a creature. Both would have to pay.

His Master’s enemy had already flown to two of the platforms that held disks and was nearly at the third. The boy swung off the Griffin with speed and grace while the servant grinned.

“Reducto,” he said under his breath but with extreme hatred. The curse sped toward the platform where the boy stood. He was not stupid. He knew his master wanted the boy alive, but the servant didn’t think it mattered what condition the boy was in when he arrived as long as he was breathing.

…

Harry’s fingers wrapped around the disk when the platform shook violently beneath him before exploding into hundreds of pieces. His companion screeched in anger as his perch disappeared; while the Griffin flapped its powerful wings, Harry began to fall.

Hermione shot to her feet, wand in her hand, “Harry!” She bit her lip, “Not again… Aresto…” Before she, or anyone else, could finish the spells they were casting to save the falling Gryffindor (despite the fact that most of them were watching from the quidditch pitch and he was currently over the Forbidden Forest), he was enveloped in a flash of light. When the light faded there was a second Griffin in the sky, this one much darker. 

Where the original had the same body coloring of a lion, the new one looked almost gray and the eagle’s feathers were black and white instead of brown and white. 

“Oh, Harry,” Hermione sighed again, a small smile on her face as relief flooded through her.

…

One moment he was falling, the next he was flying. He felt his body grow. His hair turned to feathers, his skin to fur. Talons replaced his fingers and paws formed where his feet used to be. His nose and mouth were now a beak. He had a tail, and most importantly, he had wings. 

By instinct alone, his wings beat. 

The world was much sharper now. He could see for miles. 

Something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. There was a man walking quickly out of the arena. Griffin Harry turned to give chase only for the other Griffin to block his path. Confusion set in, why was his brother Griffin blocking him from giving chase to this suspicious man? The other Griffin tilted its head toward the highest floating platform and then he remembered. He was supposed to be finishing the fifth task of the tournament. 

Together the Griffins flew up to the highest platform and landed. The brown Griffin nudged the gray toned one, pushing him toward the peg in the middle. 

“Mister Potter,” Professor McGonagall was suddenly there, standing on the platform, a broom in her hand. “You need to remember your original form. If I must, I can help you change back but it will be better for you in the future if you find your own way back to yourself.”

He looked at the stern Scottish woman and then to his companion. The other noble lord of sky and land nodded, he would need to return to his other form now. Harry bowed to the other Griffin then closed his eagle eyes, picturing Harry Potter in his mind, remembering what and who was waiting for him.

“Thank you, Professor,” Harry smiled as he approached the peg, placing each disk around the peg as he continued. “I didn’t even mean to transform; until I saw Idris, I didn’t even understand the physical body or what was necessary. I guess it was the shock of knowing I was going to fall and the Griffin inside knowing that I could save myself.” He scratched his head, messing up his eternally rebellious hair, “I got a little lost in the Griffin’s mind for a minute there.”

She smiled slightly at him, “But you managed to return to yourself.”

“Idris reminded me that I had things to do and people waiting for me, though I have no idea how I know that is what he told me.”

“Your godfather has not been explaining things well enough,” she sighed. “When transformed, you can understand others of your species to a point. The more intelligent the species, the more you understand. It is said that Griffins are highly intelligent and were once capable of communicating with wizards. Wizarding kind has lost the ability to understand but the Griffin has not lost its intelligence.”

Harry looked to the noble creature beside him. “Thank you, Noble Idris, and thank you again, Professor.”

“You are welcome, Mister Potter,” she turned to leave the platform, “oh and fifty points for achieving the Animagus transformation so successfully and so young. You also won me a bet. I bet on you to achieve this first, the other professors thought me mad.”

“You bet on the students, Professor?”

“How do you think we entertain ourselves year in and year out surrounded by teenagers? Now, Mister Potter, I believe it is time for you to join the other champions back at the pitch. The judges should be ready to announce your scores.”

Harry watched momentarily as his head of house flew off with absolute control and ease on a broom. It shouldn’t have been surprising considering her love of quidditch but for some reason Harry could not quite get used to the image. He felt a gentle nudge and turned back to Idris. “I suppose it is time to go then, isn’t it?” The proud Griffin nodded sagely. “Would you like to join me?” again his companion nodded. “Then let’s go.”

…

“Ladies, gentlemen and champions,” Bagman stood with the other judges in their box, the champions stood on the platform they had used for the dueling challenge, only it had been expanded. The Griffin still stood next to Harry, refusing to follow the handlers when they approached and they were not stupid enough to challenge it with so many innocent bystanders. 

“It is time to announce the final scores for the fifth task of the Triwizard tournament. To start, the scoring is a bit different this time. Each challenge can receive a maximum of five points and the amount you get is determined entirely on the time you achieve in the task; first or best time, will receive five, second will receive three, and so one. Next, each judge can award a total of five points for the overall performance in the event. Headmaster Dumbledore will be judging on creativity, Headmistress Maxime will be judging on safety and Headmaster Karkaroff will be judging on precision. Mister Crouch will be judging on spell choice and I will be judging on showmanship.” He paused to let the audience absorb that information. “If you are doing the math, then you have realized that there are five points that are unaccounted for. Those last five points will be awarded based on the animal each champion chose to fly them during the fourth challenge of the task.

“Since he drew the one, we shall start with Mister Potter.” Harry stepped forward slightly, the Griffon still right at his side. “Mister Potter had the slowest time in the first and fourth events, each will award him one point. He had the fastest time in the second event and the third best time in the dueling event. All together that will give him nine points for the individual events.” Bagman turned to the judges, “What will you score Mister Potter?”

Madam Maxime stepped forward, “He remains un-injured, despite interference in his final task, so he will receive five points.”

“Harry chose to play to his strengths and as always his Parselmagic spells were highly effective and creative, I shall award him five points.” Harry had used Parseltongue to traverse the islands as well as using it to block during the duel.

Karkaroff had a rather repulsed look on his face as he spoke, “Mister Potter was the most accurate in the broom competition but could have been more precise in the duel, I will award him three points.”

“Mister Potter is at an advantage with the ability to speak Parseltongue,” Crouch began, “he will always have a diverse selection at his beck and call; however, he could have been more varied and effective in his choice of spells during the dueling challenge. I award three points.”

“Well,” Bagman continued, preparing to give his score, “I personally thought that Mister Potter deserved a five for his showmanship, he did turn into a Griffon when some unknown individual interfered in his final performance, after all.” The other judges nodded, though some seemed reluctant. “Finally, Mister Potter will be awarded five points for gaining the trust and aid of the Griffon. It was determined before the task began that this animal would be worth five points, the Thestral is worth four, the Hippogriff three and the Aethonan two points. Though it wasn’t told to the competitors, they technically could have summoned a broom to complete the fourth challenge, that would have resulted in a one for the choice of creature because it is a spell so does actually require some skill or knowledge.

“That means that Mister Potter receives twenty-six points from the judges, adding in the nine from his times and he receives a thirty-five.”

“Miss Delacour came in with the best time in three of four event and placed second in the fourth giving her an eighteen for the timed scoring.”

The judges ended up each giving the only female champion fours and five, fours for creativity, precision and spell choice; fives for safety and showmanship, Bagman had loved her choice to change into her avian form. Combined with her choice of the Aethonan and the timed scoring she ended with a forty-two. 

Cedric ended up with a total of twenty-six points. He had the slowest time in the dueling and broom racing challenges, even if he was barely behind, so received one point for each. His attempt at the island course left him in second behind Fleur. Lastly, he came in right behind Krum in the animal course adding two more points. The judges generally awarded Cedric average scores. He had some creativity, but the others were more creative, the same for showmanship and accuracy. Crouch had given him a four for spell choice as it was on par with the other two of age competitors and Madam Maxime was forced to give him a two as he had injured himself multiple times in the island challenge. The Hippogriff awarded him three points bringing his grand total to twenty-six. Cedric had the poorest showing in this event.

Viktor was on par with Harry. The individuals judging him on safety and accuracy gave him fives, no surprise for Karkaroff there while Dumbledore and Crouch gave him fours, feeling that others did better. His choice of the Hippogriff, like Cedric, awarded him three points. Viktor did not have his best showing in the timed events. He, like Harry, took a more cautious route for the islands, so placed third. His size also hindered him in the broom event. He did place second in the dueling and animal events, coming in just behind Miss Delacour in both events. In total, Viktor Krum received a total of thirty-four points.

“Give your champions a hand,” Bagman laughed. “I am sure you are all wondering, what the final standings are so far. Let’s just say that things are getting interesting. The overall standings hardly change, Mister Krum will remain in first, Mister Potter will move to second over Mister Diggory and Miss Delacour will stay in fourth. The difference in points between those positions, however, has greatly decreased. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next event. 

“As always, my lovely audience, the next task of the Triwizard tournament will happen in a month’s time, the third Saturday of the month, so we will be seeing you on the twentieth. Champions, please head to the meeting tent from this morning.”

Harry looked at the other three after swinging onto Idris’s back, “I’ll see you at the tent.”

**Room of Requirement**

Hermione launched herself into Harry’s arms the second he walked through the door. The group of friends had decided to meet in the Come and Go Room after the fifth task. To start, it was just the twins, Neville, Fay Draco and Hermione; after Harry joined them and Hermione got to have her moment, they would be joined by a few others. Eventually, the Gryffindor quidditch team, Luna, Nicole Fray, Ilia, their foreign friends and the Slytherin and Gryffindor fourth years would be joining them.

“DO NOT scare me like that!”

Harry hugged her close and fought back a chuckle. “I’m sorry, Hermione. For once, I thought I would get through one of these things without having something actively trying to kill me.”

“This was actually one of the safest tasks, if you think about it,” Cedric said from right behind Harry. The other three champions were tired of the crowding and so had followed Harry up to be with his friends. “He would have been fine, with no near-death experiences, if someone hadn’t interfered.”

“As long as you don’t consider choosing a Griffin to carry you as dangerous,” Fleur said under her breath.

“I know, and in this case, I don’t consider the Griffin dangerous because Harry has an odd infinity for dangerous creatures and that is also his Animagus form, which the whole school and a good portion of the wizarding world now knows,” Hermione loosened her grip, and gave Harry a pointed look while catching her breath. “But I am really tired of seeing you fall from high places.”

“Twice,” Harry said in exasperation, “that has only happened twice now.”

“And I sort of caught you the first time,” Draco said, throwing his arm around Harry’s shoulders, “and thank you for winning me a bet, Harry.”

“Not the point, Draco,” Hermione gave him a slight glare. 

“That is the second time a bet has been brought up,” Victor added, referring to the conversation the younger boys had before Harry’s last challenge in the task. “What is this bet?”

Neville stepped up, “We have all been working on our Animagus forms and we made a bet on who would perform a full transformation first. Draco and I bet on Harry.”

“So, did I,” Sirius strolled up with a bounce in his step. “Thanks for winning me money pup.”

“Does pup even work anymore?” Harry wondered but shook his head planning to discuss it later “Apparently, I won money for professor McGonagall too.” Harry rolled his eyes. “And don’t you have to split that three ways? How much do you get anyway, isn’t it like 20 Galleons a piece?”

“It’s thirty, and I plan to put my winnings to good use and bet on who is the second to transform.”

Hermione rolled her eyes at Sirius, “Professor McGonagall said she bet on you? Our teachers?” the brunette sounded extremely disappointed.

Oddly, it was Cedric who answered, “The professors actually bet on a lot of random stuff for the fun of it. Professors McGonagall and Sprout are the worst though. They will bet on anything. I think there is a bet every year on when you will implode due to your revision schedule for finals, and one for how many times a year Ron will call you bossy or a know-it-all.” He chuckled under his breath, “Professor McGonagall usually wins on the Ron bet, he gets in trouble if it isn’t said as a joke, and I’m not sure they found a winner for the revision one yet because Harry won’t let you go crazy over tests; last I heard it was going to roll over to your OWL year.”

Hermione covered her face in embarrassment.

“Don’t worry Hermione,” Remus placed a hand on her shoulder, “there is also a bet every year on how early Harry will end up in the hospital wing and one for which day the twins will end up getting their first detention.”

“Are you making bets on whether or not I end up needing medical attention for each task too?”

“Yes. If it makes you feel better there is also a bet on how many times Angelina will break up with Fred in a year and who will have the messiest breakup; no one has bet on you and Hermione but there is a bet on Cedric and Cho.”

“Hey,” Cedric seemed offended while Remus just shrugged. 

“Madam Hooch doesn’t think she can handle not being the center of your world for long.” A good portion of the group could see the flying instructor’s point; Cedric didn’t spend much time with the Ravenclaw. Most of his free time was spent studying for the tournament or avoiding Viktor’s fans with the fourth-years. “We were all quite disappointed that Mister Krum has not hexed any fanboys, but we have enjoyed Miss Delacour’s responses to weak minded school boys.”

“I think we have made fun of Harry and the other champions enough,” Fay said with a smile, while the four champions tried to hide their embarrassment. “I for one would like to celebrate the end of the fifth task and Harry’s first Animagus transformation.” As she spoke, the room transformed, the stone walls were covered in streamers and balloons like a kid’s party would be. She wanted something fun and silly. Reaching over to the nearest table she pulled a popper and was rewarded with a rainbow cowboy hat that she placed on her head with a giggle. “Come on, when is the last time any of us have just had some fun?”

**The Ministry of Magic**

Narcissa was nauseous and absolutely irritated. Normally, a day such as the one she was having would not put her in such a mood but when she started the day emptying the contents of her stomach only for the smell of her breakfast to make her feel sick all over again, the day did not look bright. To make matters worse, she had a meeting with the minister and Fudge was having a particularly daft day. The man may be a politician, but he still had his moments where he appeared to be a brainless simpleton. Why couldn’t the man understand that other countries had intelligent people too and it was important to at least read reports from other ministries? 

Of course, the meeting started out poorly for her when the man’s over pungent aftershave made her want to vomit. Being a Black, there was no way she could ever show such a weakness but that didn’t mean her stomach didn’t roll the entire time. She loved children but this was her least favorite part of pregnancy.

“Narcissa!”

The blonde paused on her way to the Floo, irritated that someone was preventing her from the peace and quiet of Grimmauld. Seeing who spoke, she nearly allowed herself to swear. Magdalena Malfoy stood just behind her with a baby swaddled in a blue blanket in her arms. Doing the mental math, Narcissa realized that she and Lucius must have conceived their child in May or June, which should have meant that the woman was clearly showing for her wedding, something she had not heard.

“Magdalena,” Narcissa said, keeping her voice void of emotion, “what can I do for you? And congratulations on the birth of your child; I apologize, I didn’t see the announcement, or I would have sent an owl earlier.”

The younger woman shook her head, “There wasn’t an announcement,” she sounded embarrassed, “the papers aren’t really interested in Lucius’s family because of what he did, and my family has been distancing themselves as well.”

Now that was surprising, her family may not be dark per say, but they tended to lean that direction. “I see. Is there something I can do for you?”

“I was hoping you would agree to speak with me,” she paused and looked around at the people milling about the atrium, all of them clearly interested in their impromptu conversation. “In private?”

Narcissa didn’t have to look around at the various employees and random members of their society to know they were all watching and listening very closely, that was just the way it was when you were a Black. “I suppose. I can meet you today if you wish, my afternoon isn’t terribly busy and I am free now.”

“I would greatly appreciate that,” she nearly sighed in relief. “Wherever you would like, I will agree to.”

Again, a surprise. This meeting must be very important to give Magdalena that much freedom. “My cousin owns a house in Hogsmeade, a friend is caring for the property while her fiancé teaches at the school.”

“That sounds fine, thank you. Shall I meet you in the center of town then?”

“Hogsmeade station is closer to the cottage.” She didn’t particularly want to walk through town with the woman and the shorter distance would be much better for her aching feet.

…

When the pair arrived at Hogsmeade station, the baby started to fuss. “Hush now,” Magdalena said, bouncing the child slightly, with a look that said she was at her limit. 

Narcissa was saddened to see just how awkward the woman looked holding her own child. The worst thing she could do to calm a child after Apparition was to bounce the child; the added movement only added to the child’s discomfort. “He will be much calmer when we are no longer moving.” She swiftly started walking toward the house; she did not need to feel sorry for her ex-husband’s wife.

“Your cousin owns this?” Magdalena asked when they reached the Wolf Den, confusion in her voice. “It doesn’t really seem like the sort of place a Black would own; it’s so common.”

Narcissa opened the door and looked over her shoulder, “You obviously haven’t met my cousin. He could care less about status. When he was just out of school, he owned a muggle apartment in London.” 

“Cissa,” they heard from inside the house, “I didn’t think you would be coming by today and I really didn’t expect you to bring the replacement wife,” Aria stood in the doorway that led from the living room to the kitchen, her arms crossed.

“Magdalena asked to speak with me, I thought it best to agree as the request was done in the ministry atrium.”

“Alright,” Aria rolled her eyes, obviously irritated with Magdalena forcing Narcissa’s hand in that way. “Tea then?”

“Thank you, Aria,” Narcissa turned to the younger woman, still standing in the entryway with her child. “Sit. Aria will be joining us because I will not push her out of her own home but, if you wish, you may begin. I would like to know how you knew I would be at the ministry today though.” She was smart enough to realize that the meeting was planned to a point.

“I have a contact in the ministry that was keeping an eye out for any appointments the minister scheduled with you. Had you not had a meeting before the next Wizengamot meeting I would have sought you out then.”

“I see,” Narcissa would have to discover who it was that was leaking this information. “I don’t have all day, Magdalena and even if I did, you would not be my first choice in companion.”

The younger blonde sank into one of the chairs and seemed to deflate. Her robes, while very expensive, were wrinkled and there was a stain on the shoulder from burping her son. Her hair was styled but lacked its usual luster, and her face was too pale. 

“I can’t do this,” her voice shook, losing all superiority she had used previously.

“You asked to speak with me, I am not forcing you.”

“No,” she shook her head, “I don’t mean this conversation; this is not what I wanted.” She looked down at the infant. “I didn’t even know if I wanted to marry Lucius. My father pushed for it because of what it would do for the family, not for me. He isn’t the most enjoyable lover, in fact, he’s rather selfish but I did like the lifestyle. There are only so many Lords of an acceptable age available and he has, had,” she corrected, “all that status and power; the connections and respect.”

Narcissa raised an eyebrow, Lucius didn’t really have respect, he dealt in fear. “Why did you marry him?”

She looked at Narcissa, “I wanted your life. I wanted to be the envy of all the other women. I wanted to set the trends and throw the best parties. I wanted to shop at all the best stores around the world and vacation whenever I wanted.” She wiped a tear from her cheek, “When he first brought up marriage, I thought maybe someday and told him that I wasn’t sure. I knew he would demand a child so I thought we would just have some fun until he found someone willing to give that to him right away. Because I never planned to have children.”

“And yet, here you are, married to Lucius with his son in your arms,” Aria said, placing the tea on the small table in front of them. 

“Lucius did something to my birth control potion. I actually think he switched it with a fertility potion; I mean, he brings up marriage and children and I say I would consider the first but don’t think I could do the second and the next thing I know I’m pregnant and my father is demanding we marry.” Her volume rose as she spoke, startling the child in her arms. “And all he does is cry.”

Narcissa stood and held out her arms, no longer able to watch the woman fail to comfort the distraught child. “What are you saying?” she asked in a soothing tone so as not to further disturb the baby.

“I can’t do this!” there was finality in her words and tone. “It wasn’t as bad at first. He was attentive and supportive during the pregnancy and he seemed genuinely excited when we learned we were having a boy. The Malfoy family would have a proper heir,” she said with no small amount of bitterness. “I thought it would be alright. Our lives would continue and we’d get a nanny or a team of nanny elves so I could continue with my life but then he got arrested. Now he is in Azkaban and I am all alone. I don’t have control over anything at the manor. The elves won’t listen to me and I don’t even get a stipend from his account, if he even still has one. I think the goblins seized his account for some reason that I didn’t really understand when I read the letter they sent and there was nothing I could do about it because he didn’t even put me on any of the accounts.” She got up and started to pace, “Now I am forced to live with my parents because the wards barely tolerate me and they are blaming me for Lucius bringing shame to them when my father was the one pushing for this.” 

Magdalena threw up her hands in exasperation and then turned to stare at the older blonde. Narcissa sat cuddling the tiny baby boy, smiling down at his tiny form as he gripped her finger. For the first time that day, the child was calm and smiling. “You need to take him.”

Narcissa and Aria both looked at the other woman with wide, shocked eyes. “Excuse me?”

“You have got to be kidding,” Aria spoke at the same time as Narcissa.

“I can’t do this. I can’t be a mother because all I want to do is hand him off to someone else. The thing I think about most is how he is ruining my social life. My parents refuse to have anything to do with him because of Lucius being arrested so won’t let the elves help and I am floundering. Do you know that sometimes I dream about just leaving and not coming back? When I do, I worry about what people would think of me instead of what would happen to him.

“But you, you are the ultimate mother. That’s what everyone is saying. Do you know how often people compare their parenting styles to you? Everyone knows that Lucius is a shitty father and everything that is good and respectable about Draco is because of you. He used to be an arrogant little twat but ever since Lucius was removed from the picture, he has become a great student, a respectable young man. That is all you.”

“Draco made his own choices.”

“And that’s just it. Everyone knows that too. Your son made those choices because you gave him options and knowledge of the world and he saw the benefit of following your lead. That baby boy deserves that too. He deserves a parent who actually cares what happens to him.” Magdalena dropped to her knees in front of Narcissa, “Please.”

Narcissa Black looked down at the tiny little boy snoozing in her arms. He looked a bit like Draco had when he was a baby; the nose and cheeks so much like her boy’s had been while the hair was more gold than white. Innocent. The child was innocent but was cursed with an evil, horrible father and a selfish, flighty mother. He did deserve better than fate had given him. “What is his name?”

“Roderick Bartholomew Malfoy.” 

“When was he born?” Aria asked. She had moved to stand behind Narcissa and was staring down at the tiny boy, he looked so small.

“March thirty-first. He was more than a month early.”

“And is less than a month old,” Aria gave the woman a hard look. He was only twenty-six days old. Magdalena should not have been traveling so much with him, especially if he was premature. The Scottish Highlands could still be bone chillingly cold in April and a child that young should really not be out in the elements with so little protection.

Before the selfish blonde could respond Narcissa stood, “I need to speak to my son and Severus before I can give you an answer. I will return shortly.” She did not care if the woman consented to waiting or not, Narcissa was already sweeping out of the house on her way to the school, mirror in her hand.

“You are a coward and a fool,” Aria said as she held the baby securely in her arms. There was something amiss in the woman’s story, she could smell it. “Narcissa will not allow this child to leave with you, so you get what you want there but she is also going to require you to legally give up your rights.” 

“I am prepared to do that.”

“But are you prepared for what society will think of you when they find out?” If there is one thing that she knew, Magdalena wanted to appear perfect, and this would tarnish her reputation. “Narcissa will not hide his parentage from him or anyone. Everyone will know that you gave him up; Narcissa Black will raise this boy with all the love you don’t have and you will be shunned.”

Magdalena looked down, “I don’t plan to stay. I think France is more my style. The fashion, the nightlife, the cuisine, the men. I am not cut out for this traditional society.”

“I thought you didn’t have any money?”

“I have enough to keep myself in the life I am accustomed to. Plus, someone who looks like me doesn’t need to pay very often when dining out.”

Aria gave her a feral look, “If you leave, don’t even think of coming back. I will not tolerate you waltzing back into their lives years down the road claiming guilt and trying to break what I know they will build. If you do, I will end you, and no one will know anything about it.”

“Aria,” a deep voice rumbled causing the blonde and redhead to turn. 

Magdalena instantly looked at the redhead smugly seeing a polite looking man standing in the room, “Now I have a witness that you threatened me.”

Remus walked into the room and wrapped his arms around Aria’s waist, looking over her shoulder at the small baby boy she still held. Narcissa had called him as well as Severus. It just so happened that his seventh-years had a test that day and didn’t need the full double period to complete it; leaving him available to act as back up. “You know I would insist on helping you deal with this filth if she tried anything; that is if Severus didn’t beat us to the punch.”

“Of which I am sure I would,” the potions professor said in his smooth, intimidating way. Severus had also been free, simply because he had a free period. He had pulled Draco from class to a room just off the entrance hall by the time she arrived at the school. Draco and Severus were informed that they would be taking care of Draco’s half-brother from now on; she did not ask. She had said that they could look at other options in the future but that she would not allow Magdalena to have access to the child any longer based on her selfish words and what she wasn’t saying. Draco had been stunned but supportive; Severus had been happy to act as backup. “If you are sure that you want to give your son up, then Narcissa and I will take him but you must know that you will not be allowed in his life. You will not get to come back and make him question his life.”

All of them could see Magdalena shudder with fear. 

“Make no mistake,” Narcissa added leaning into Severus’s side, “He will know exactly who his birth parents are but he will also know what they did.” She walked to Aria and took Roderick into her arms, “He will have a family in us. A family with Draco and his friends. With Lord Black, Remus and Aria.”

“Harry, Fay, Hermione, the Weasley,” Remus added.

“Andromeda, Ted and Nymphadora,” Severus finished. 

As one, all four of them turned their attention to the shallow blonde, “Are you prepared for that?” Narcissa asked looking down on her coldly.

She reached into her robes and drew out a roll of parchment. “I took the liberty of having the goblins draw up the paperwork before I came here. I am glad you agreed to take him; I was prepared to look elsewhere or resort to leaving him with muggles.”

“You sicken me,” Narcissa growled low after she had read through the contract and escorted the woman from the house. “I hope one day you realize just how despicable you are. You are from a rich family; your parents gave you a fortune upon reaching your majority. It is not that you don’t have money, you don’t want to lose your adoring male fans.”

“As I told your friend, I can afford to keep myself. If I were to keep Lucius’s child, I would not be able to continue to live a respectable life. I would not be able to attend the functions I wish to. I would waste my money on his child. I would waste the best years of my life on someone other than myself. That is something I refuse to do.” 

Watching the woman walk away, now appearing to be completely fine and without worry, was sad. No woman should be able to pretend to be so disadvantaged one moment simply because she did not want to take responsibility for her choices. Magdalena had been ecstatic to marry Lucius, and had told a great many people that she was overjoyed to carry his child. Now that things were not exactly how she wanted them; she sang a different tune. 

This would not be the last they heard from that family; she only hoped that when they did return, they did not harm Roderick

**Near the Coast**

Three men stood under the cloak of darkness watching the waves crash against the cliffside. If not for the storm raging, the howling wind and drenching rain, the people of the town would find it odd that three individuals would stand with nearly identical floor length cloaks, but as it was, the gloom of the day had caused most to ignore the world outside their warm, dry homes. It would have been even stranger to see the men because, despite the fact that the wind was causing even the largest of trees to sway, their cloaks barely rippled. No one would be able to identify any of them even if they were looking, for the hoods were pulled far over their heads, obscuring their faces from all but someone standing directly in front of any of the figures. 

Each of the men were different. The tallest was pale with equally pale hair cut short and threaded with gray. His eyes were sharp and wary and his hand hovered over his holstered wand. He questioned, as he had for some time now, the intelligence of following the orders of his companion and their Lord. It could be worse, of course. He could be following the other version, the one that was protected by a man with a mind damaged by years of mind manipulation and torture. The other one was also much more insane and much more likely to kill those who bowed to him than to compliment them.

The shortest of the three was irritated and tired. His once dark hair was generously accented by steel gray to the point where it was more gray than brown but his dark eyes were still the hard, dark brown they had been in his youth. He had cared for his body over the years and still had a slim build, though his muscle definition was starting to lessen. Of the three who waited, he was the oldest and the most certain, proud and prepared. He did not question his loyalties, for he had followed since before there was a cause. It was easy to see where things would go and where he should avoid. The only irritation in his life was his children. Each and every one of them were disappointments.

The last knew nothing. He was ignorant of all that was about to happen. The last was the youngest and also the least educated. He had not had the same upbringing of his companions. His parents could not afford tutors. Merlin, they could barely afford to send him to school in the first place. He had lived his life constantly wishing for more. More money, more time, more friends, more power, more, more, more. More never came for him. So, when his companions approached him, he was ripe for the picking. They could see that even the barest hint of reward would call to the young man and when it was offered, he came instantly.

Thunder cracked and as it did a fourth man appeared on the rocky shores above the crashing sea. This last man was one who drew attention. Eyes were drawn to him simply because he held himself in a way that screamed of importance. His physique and demeanor told of his high-born upbringing and impeccable schooling. His perfectly styled hair and immaculately kept clothes quashed any question of his belonging. This man was important and everything about him said so. 

Of course, looks can be deceiving. The fourth man was not high-born. He had not been able to buy the best quality tools for school. He had no understanding of etiquette until he arrived at school with no knowledge of his heritage. This fourth man had changed himself over time, erased his humble upbringing so that, hopefully, none remembered the nothing he had crawled out of. Now he looked like he could be royalty and if he had anything to say about it, he would rule all, as was his right.

“I see you have brought me another servant, Tiberius,” the regal man drawled. “Let us hope this one is more effective than your worthless children.”

“My children apparently grew up with too much privilege and not enough responsibility. Our new companion grew up with nothing and is hungry, willing to do what it takes to have everything.”

The powerful man smiled wickedly, “Good.” He turned to the ocean, “Now, if my notes to myself are correct, I will have hidden one of my anchors in this cave. It was a favorite place of mine as a child. I used to punish those who thought themselves superior to me here. Those I grew up with learned to fear this place almost as much as they feared me.” He walked toward the edge of the cliff, “Come, I will show you my brilliance.”

Three men followed the first, walking carefully along the rain slicked rocks that lead to the sea. The man in the lead walked as though he were walking down a dry corridor, nothing seemed slick and, for him at least, there was no possibility of falling to a rocky, wet grave. There was a path of sorts, a slim ledge that wrapped around the cliff face, it also led down. After a few minutes, the leader came to a wider landing. He stopped, standing next to the sheer face of a cliff waiting for those following to all finish their trek down the rock path. 

“What is your name, my new follower?”

“Stan,” the man answered quickly. “What can I do for yah, ma Lord?”

The Lord did not show his distaste for the young man’s lack of vocabulary; though it irritated him beyond measure. “It is time to prove your worth, my new friend,” when he said friend there was a predatory note to his voice. “I require your assistance.” 

“Wah ever yah need, sir,” he ambled forward, “anythin is betta than workin the Knight Bus.”

“Whatever I need,” he mused, “I guard what is mine,” he addressed all of the men with him. “Even as a child I managed to ward my things so that the vile muggles I was surrounded by could not take what was rightfully mine.” He placed his hand against the stone wall of the cliff. “I can pass into the chamber within, the rest of you will need a sacrifice of blood to pass.” Without another word, the man slid through the stone and out of sight. 

“Yaxley, show Stan what he needs to do,” Tiberius commanded the tall man.

Yaxley scowled under the cover of his cloak. Why was it that none of them realized he did not like to be ordered around as if he was stupid? He pulled his wand swiftly from its holster and cast a very low powered cutting curse on his hand, a thin trail of blood started to seep from the wound. Before the blood could drip from his hand, he placed his palm on the rock wall where the previous man had placed his. Before his eyes, the face of the cliff disappeared and he could see the path to the cave within.

“Quickly now, young Stan. The barrier will close if we do not follow fast enough.” He pushed the man in front of him, “Normally, it is the newest members who must give of themselves, normally Yaxley would not have done that. But for me, and to show you what is expected, he relented. It will not happen again.” He waited for the young man to nod. “I expect that there are other protections that our Lord will require assistance with; if you are capable, you must be the one to offer aid to prove you are worthy of the rewards he promises.”

“I can do that.” 

The pair joined their Lord and Yaxley, standing on the shores of a murky lake. Tiberius knew that his Lord had placed that lake there for a reason and knew that the reason would not be good for any intruders. 

“Yaxley,” the Lord started, “you will stay here, you have done well. Tiberius, you will take young Stan across the lake to the small island in the boat; I will await you there.” Without another word the Dark Lord was enveloped in black smoke and flew the distance across the lake to the small island.

“Blimey,” Stan whispered in awe. “He flew and didn’t have no broom!”

“There is much the Dark Lord can do, my young friend. It was a wise decision to consent to joining us. Come, we will have to take the boat as that is a skill, I have never been able to master.” Stan obediently climbed into the boat and Tiberius stepped in after him; both needed to stand as there was so little room.

The journey across the cave lake was not long, you could see the walls of the cave from the entrance so the pair knew the lake was not large. Stan bounded out of the small boat and walked quickly to the Dark Lord’s side. He wanted to learn, to serve.

“Do you see the basin?” the Dark Lord all but whispered. “Inside, I have hidden an important object. To retrieve this object, the potion in the basin must be drunk, not a drop can remain.”

“I can drink it.”

“Do not volunteer so hastily, young Stan, there is more I must tell you.” He was pleased that the young man offered so readily. “The potion will not be pleasant to drink. It will make you see things about yourself you would not wish to see. You will feel sick and guilty. You will wish for water, but you will not be able to drink any until the basin is empty. If you begin you must finish. Do you think you can help me?”

“I’m ready, ma Lord.”

The Dark Lord nodded, “Tiberius, you will ensure he completes his task.”

Tiberius was no fool. He knew what was in the basin. He knew what would befall the young man and he also knew that only three people would be leaving this cave. Stan would not survive this. He did not have the strength of mind or the magic to fight the dark poison that would cause his magic to attack his mind and body. Every regret would burn through him until he shriveled away to nothing. Only the most powerful would survive beyond finishing the potion and even then, most, if not all, would require immediate attention from a healer. Tiberius also knew that there was some dark creature hiding under the surface of the lake. It would not be able to come out until someone touched the water with their skin. This potion all but guaranteed that the drinker would dive head first into the water to try to find relief. 

“Of course, my Lord.”

Most would be repulsed to watch what was happening to Stan. The rest would not be strong enough to force him to continue. Tiberius realized he had lost his pity for the pathetic long ago. He felt nothing as he watched and forced Stan to kill himself. For Stan, it was an agonizing twenty minutes; for Tiberius, it was utterly annoying. When the final drop was poured down the pathetic, crying man’s throat Tiberius nearly ended his life to shut him up. He waited, just in case his Lord needed something else from their sacrifice.

The Dark Lord reached into the basin and picked up the locket that had been preserved within. “What is this?” His voice shook with rage. The locket did not feel right. It did not feel like him in any way. “This is not my Horcrux.”

Tiberius looked over in alarm, releasing Stan in the process. The Dark Lord ripped the locket open and read the note that was placed inside. 

“R.A.B.”

“My Lord?”

“Which of my followers has the initials R.A.B?”

Tiberius quickly went through his mental list and came up with only two with the first and last initial. “I can think of only two that could be possible, my Lord. Rosalinda Bulworth and Regulus Black. I must apologize, I do not know their middle names off the top of my head. Additionally, both are dead. Rosalinda died in the late seventies and Regulus died only a few weeks before your own downfall.”

“You know as well as I do that Rosalinda was hardly useful enough for me to trust her with this location. She may have had her uses, but she was not that devout. I am remembering a note in my journal saying I borrowed a Black elf. I must have requested it from Regulus.” His voice had gone ice cold, causing Tiberius to shiver in fear. “Is this Regulus, perhaps related to Sirius Black?”

“Regulus was Sirius’s younger brother.”

“I shall take my revenge on Regulus Black by destroying the Black family. The Blacks will rue the day that I learned their name; none will survive. This is just another reason to not even allow young Bellatrix to survive. Her family is responsible for the loss of two of my most important possessions.”

Unbeknownst, Stan had crawled to the lake in hopes of quenching the burning thirst that consumed his being. He sighed in relief when he looked down and saw his own reflection. “Finally,” he muttered as he shoved his head beneath the surface and started to drink. 

The moment Stan’s face broke the surface of the water, the creatures struck. Hundreds of Inferi surged from the water, dragging Stan into the water so that they could feed. Tiberius whirled and instantly cast a flame curse to repel the ones closest to him. He ran as fast as he could to the boat and pushed off headed toward the entrance once more. 

The Dark Lord was absolutely furious. One of his followers had betrayed him in the worst possible way. He allowed the rage within him to come to the surface.

On the shore, near the entrance, Yaxley watched as Tiberius fought Inferi that tried to climb into his boat. He saw something on the far shore. The Dark Lord was surrounded by fire but the fire did not touch him. It radiated out and seemed to be traveling very quickly away from him.

“Tiberius,” he shouted, “behind you.”

Tiberius whirled at Yaxley’s frantic warning. He dropped to the floor of the boat, shielding as he fell when he saw a wall of fire coming toward him at alarming speed. Hopefully, it was not Fiend Fire or he would be dead. 

The Dark Lord stood panting in the center of the island he created at some point to house a piece of his soul. There were charred bodies of Inferi all around him. His eyes burned with intensity and rage. “Your family will regret existing, Lord Black. I am coming for you.”


	37. A Sirius Interlude - AKA Sirius Highjacked the Chapter

**Godric’s Hollow**

“I should have come sooner,” the tall, lean man sighed. “It shouldn’t have been this hard to drum up the courage to come talk to you, but I just didn’t know what I was going to say. Words cannot express how sorry I am. I am ashamed of myself and embarrassed by my actions.” He sat on the ground one leg stretched out, the other bent with his arm wrapped lightly around it. 

Sirius Black looked tired. He was dressed differently than had become his norm. Where he usually wore robes of the finest quality, he now wore jeans. Those jeans looked a bit too new to be comfortable, mostly because they were; this was the first time he had worn them. He wore a scarred black leather jacket over a black Queen t-shirt, both of which were more than a decade old.

“I can’t believe I was so stupid. How could I have let him trick me like that? I knew Peter could be sneaky, but I really didn’t see that coming. You know what I mean?” he paused as though waiting for an answer. None would come because the dead don’t speak. “Merlin. How were we so blind, James?”

He fought back a sob. This was harder than he had anticipated. It would have been easier if the dead could speak. He would have much preferred the screaming lecture he was sure he deserved from both James and Lily to the silence of the cemetery. 

“I can’t believe I let you down. I let Harry down.” Sirius shook his head, tears running down his face. “What kind of godfather am I? How could you trust me? Remus would have been a much better choice of godfather; I bet he would have followed Harry instead of the stupid rat. Remus would have known that Harry was more important than my anger. Better yet, I bet Remus wouldn’t have let Hagrid take him.” 

Sirius took his head in his hands, gripping his hair tightly as he closed his eyes trying not to see his dead friends lying on the floor of their small cottage home. Their open, lifeless eyes had haunted him since the night of their death. “It should have been me. If I could only turn back time, I would make sure it was me.

“I would make sure you weren’t home that night. Instead, I would stay with Harry so that when the wards fell, Voldy would have to face me. Then you would get to live and Harry would have his parents. He wouldn’t be forced to spend a decade with Lily’s sister, the horrible hag, and he would grow up knowing Neville and the Weasleys. He would get to fly with his awesome dad every day while his mom screamed at them to be careful because they kept trying crazy stunts. Maybe he would have had a little brother or sister; better yet both. Then he would have gone to Hogwarts knowing there were adults at his back. James would have seen him fly at his first game. Lily would have gotten to lecture him on proper homework practices. Harry could have introduced you to his girlfriend.” 

Sirius reached out and placed a hand on the tombstone. “I think you would really like her, Lils. She is really smart and protective of Harry. Hermione keeps him grounded. She reminds me of you from time to time; crazy smart and fiercely protective. She doesn’t really see house stereotypes and refuses to allow his fame to get in the way. Yeah, sometimes she can be hyper focused and forget to have fun and insecure because of just how smart she is but she is really good for him. 

“All he wants out of life is to be Harry. Just Harry. He hates his fame and yet is still considering being a pro seeker, though I don’t think that is what he will finally decide to do. By the gods, James, he is so much better than you on a broom. He would have kicked your arse when he was eleven! I’ve seen a memory of that first game and he is bloody good. Lily would probably have grounded him for a year for some of the stunts he pulled but you would have acted like such an idiot when he pulled off a spectacular catch.” Sirius sighed once again, “I wish I could have seen you be an idiot dad. You probably would have been worse than Amos Diggory, and that man brags about his son constantly. Lily, I hope you know, you would have been the “rules” parent, but I also know you would have helped your son prank his dad.”

He stopped, taking a deep breath.

When he had gotten up that morning, this had not been the plan. It had been a rare day off for him, courtesy of little miss Aria. The small redhead had demanded that Narcissa would have a day without politics to shop for baby stuff. Sirius was all for it. Narcissa was a far better Lord Black than he was. Sirius may have held the actual position, but Narcissa was the one planning and making the decisions. His family had been blind. It was ridiculous that they were so set on tradition that the only one who could hold the position of Lord Black was a male heir. Had his grandfather chosen Narcissa, things would probably have been better for the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. Narcissa would have known what to do and how to do it. She would have made their family respectable years ago and wouldn’t have been stuck with that dead weight ex-husband of hers. If he could, he would abdicate his title and let her take it but the family magic wouldn’t allow it.

While Narcissa relaxed and shopped with her friends, he had planned on sleeping in and doing nothing. It seemed his subconscious had other ideas. He had woken up earlier than he did for ‘work’ days. When it became apparent that falling back asleep was an impossibility, he had dressed in clothes that Narcissa would have hated and gone for a walk. The cold morning air had felt great and he had found himself in Godric’s Hollow before he realized he intended to go there. 

It was the first time he had ever visited.

Seeing the house was hard. He couldn’t bring himself to open the gate.

The statue of the Potter family nearly brought him to his knees. Seeing his friends immortalized like that, holding their son was both beautiful and heartbreaking; he would have to bring Harry at some point.

It was their grave that was his undoing. He read their names and just collapsed. Lily, the most amazing girl in their year; a far better person than he was and more than James deserved, something his friend had said many, many times. James, his brother in all but blood. If anyone deserved to grow old together, it had been them. 

The inscription below their names had him cursing Dumbledore. That was not what Lily would have chosen upon their death. Both parents would have wanted a message to their son, not about death being an adventure.

“I just don’t know what to do half the time, James.” Sirius rolled to his feet and placed his hands on the top of the headstone. “I know I can never do as good a job as you two could and I can’t be the godfather I always thought I would be. I can’t be all about fun and pranks; I have to be at least somewhat parental and I don’t think I’m ready for that.” He glanced at Lily’s name, “Yeah, I know, Lily; no one is really ever ready to be a parent, but can you really see me as a parent period?” As if he heard James speak, he laughed softly, “Okay, you’ve got a point there, Prongs. If you can be an awesome dad, then I can be a halfway decent dad. And hey, I got to skip all the diapers; told you I would never need to know how. I wish I had needed to do diapers. I guess Cissy will insist on my helping out, though I don’t know if Dobby will let me near any of the babies; the little elf won’t allow me to be alone with Roderick, I am more than a little insulted.

“Jokes aside, I wouldn’t mind being a dad, a real one to a little kid who actually needed me. Because I think I need Harry more than he needs me.” He sniffed running a hand under his nose. “Missed my chance though. I wish I could do it over again. My dumb arse destroyed any chance to have kids of my own. There are people out there who would say that is for the best, but I think I would have done as good as anyone else. The healers say I have zero chance of fathering a child of my own. Muggle doctors said it was possible but the odds were low without medical assistance, whatever that means. Basically, getting thrown in Azkaban damaged my health; potions are helping with the most important things, heart, lungs, kidneys, core, but reproductively I’m all but done. I guess I could claim Pettigrew or the ministry committed line theft but that wouldn’t do anything for me now. I’ve got Harry though.

“Your kid is amazing.” He changed subjects quickly, going back to something safer for his poor mental health. “He has more power than either of you. And he is better on a broom than all three of us put together! I suppose that being a seeker, it makes perfect sense. Of course, I’ve already said that, haven’t I? Defense is his best class, which Remus LOVES. He took the smart route; runes, arithmancy, and care. From what he has said, he actually likes arithmancy. Again, Remus loves it. Who would have thought, James? Your kid is smart! Oh, I guess that isn’t a surprise to you is it, Lily? I wish you were here. I will be wishing that every day for the rest of my life.

“I love you both. I will do everything in my power to protect your son. He is my reason for living. If I have to, I will do what you have already done; I would give my life for his in a heartbeat.” The tears he thought had dried up were flowing again. “Only you, James, and your enchanting son, could make me a blubbering idiot.” 

He turned and started to walk away, “I won’t be a stranger this time. I’ll come back, and I’ll bring Harry with me.” With his hand on the kissing gate, his eyes on the sky, he breathed deep. “I can’t promise to do everything you would have done, but I will do all I can to make you proud of him, and of me.”

…

Once again, he wasn’t quite sure how he found himself where he was. He hadn’t been in the heart of muggle London since before he lost James. Yes, he had been to the water park and a few restaurant stops but he had stuck with wizarding establishments for the most part and hadn’t been in the most muggle of muggle places. 

Trafalgar Square had changed and yet it hadn’t. The buildings were the same; the same architecture, the same fountain. There were still statues and people everywhere. Even though it was spring, he could smell the Christmas tree from the last time he had been there with Lily, James and baby Harry. 

Life was a strange thing.

“I am at my wits end, Christopher,” a woman said in obvious exasperation. “Why did you do that? I thought things were going better, that you were adjusting.”

“I don’t know what happened, mom. I didn’t do anything.”

Sirius turned to see a woman about his age, perhaps a year or two younger, the boy with her was probably eight, though he wasn’t the best judge. He could see the resemblance, so they must be mother and son. Why they drew his attention over any other family was anyone’s guess. It wasn’t that she looked like anyone in particular; her hair wasn’t a special shade, just brown. She wasn’t particularly tall; average he would say and didn’t dress expensively or flashily. The woman was pretty but not billboard amazing. Normal, with a light dusting of freckles. 

The boy was just the same. A normal little boy with his mother’s hair and decent clothes. Sirius was sure he would usually have the same mischievous smile that all little boys had, were it not for the little fight he and his mother appeared to be in at that point in time. There was a grass stain on one knee, a small hole in the other. The head of House Black wished he could have worn those clothes as a child; his everyday robes probably cost more than the kid’s entire wardrobe.

“I don’t know what to tell you, kiddo. Your teacher said it was you and a lot of kids seemed to think it could be you too. Didn’t you have a bit of an argument with her?”

The boy shrugged, “Well, yeah. She wasn’t being fair. Since Mother’s Day just happened and we will be on summer vacation for Father’s Day she said we had to do a project about our dads now. We’re supposed to talk to our dad and ask him these questions and then write a paper on it; but I don’t have a dad.”

“She knows that,” the woman melted, “you can’t be the only one in class.”

“I’m not,” he shook his head, “she said if you don’t have a dad you can pick a grandfather or uncle or something like that. She said an important male figure in your life. But Mom, I don’t have one of those. All I’ve got is you and grandma. Ms. Bailey just wouldn’t listen and said I had to have someone I could talk to but the only adult men in my life are the landlord and teachers at school.”

“Oh, Chris,” she hugged her son. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow. She couldn’t tell me why you were saying you couldn’t do your assignment. She insisted you were being unreasonable and that is why you got in trouble. Because you were the only student to get in trouble with her today, she insisted it was you who put mud in her desk.” She gave the boy a sideways grin, “I kind of think she deserved the mud.”

He giggled lightly, “I did wish her desk was full of mud, but I didn’t put it there.”

Sirius snorted, unable to hold his mirth. Mother and son both turned to find him sitting on the edge of the fountain right behind them. 

Realizing he was caught eavesdropping he held up his hands in surrender, “Sorry, I’ve been woolgathering and couldn’t help but overhear. I have to say kid, your teacher seems rather cold hearted; I would have struggled to find a good male role model at your age. My dad may have been around but the man had little to do with my brother and I. Heck, I didn’t have a real father figure until I met my best friend’s parents and I was thirteen when that happened. But you have something I definitely didn’t, a mom who cares enough to fight for you. Sometimes I hear my mother yelling at me just by looking at her pictures,” he grinned at his own joke. That portrait was long gone but did serve a point in this little conversation.

“My mom is the best,” the kid grinned. “Sorry about getting in trouble, mom.”

She sighed, eyeing Sirius, “It’s alright, kiddo. I’ll sort it out with your teacher.”

“I’m sorry for eavesdropping. I’ve been a bit out of sorts today; too much free time leaves me too much time to think of what could have been. I’m Sirius, let me buy you and your son some ice cream or something.”

“Oh, you don’t…”

“Your name is Sirius? What kind of name is that?” the kid asked over his mother’s polite refusal.

Sirius laughed at the question and the woman’s horrified look. “One of the best names in a family of crazy names. My mother’s name was Walburga. Father’s name wasn’t bad, Orion, and is part of a tradition to name kids in my family after stars. My name is Sirius, after the dog star.”

“Walburga?”

Sirius nodded to the boy, “It’s really no wonder she was so crabby, having such a terrible name.” Boy and man grinned at each other as though sharing some inside joke.

“Being named after the dog star is kind of cool. I’m Chris, well, Christopher but I prefer Chris and mom mostly only uses my full name when I am in trouble. She named me after my grandfather, but he died before I was born.”

“Well, it is nice to meet you, young Chris.” He turned his attention to the boy’s mother, “Please, allow me to buy the kid an ice cream; it sounds like he had a rough day.”

She hesitated, “I really wouldn’t want to impose.”

“Please, impose. My horrible parents left me with more money than I need, despite how easily my cousin and I can spend it, and I could use a bit of normal today.”

He could see the moment his smile convinced her, like many before her, she rolled her eyes and shook her head, “Very well. I’m Elizabeth Walker, and this is my son Christopher. We would love some ice cream.”

“Woo hoo,” Sirius jumped and then high fived Chris. A second later he gave Elizabeth a sheepish smile, “I ruined it, didn’t I?”

“Not sure yet. I’ll have to see how you do with ice cream. I will say I have never seen a grown man so excited about ice cream before.”

“If you think that is me being excited, you should see me at Christmas.”

“I think I am horrified on behalf of whomever you share the holiday with.”

“Come on now, you don’t even know me yet, you can’t start off siding with those sticks-in-the-mud. I am just more in touch with my inner child than they are.”

“Are any of the children?”

“Teenagers.”

“I suppose teenagers can get to the point where they want to pretend they are too grown up to truly enjoy Christmas.” She conceded, “How early did you wake everyone up?”

“I woke mom up at 6:30,” Chris said bouncing at his mother’s side, “She said if I went into her room a second before then she would return my best present to the store. I believed her, moms are scary like that, so I wouldn’t chance it.”

“I don’t think I should answer that.” He looked down at the kid, “your mom would have returned all my presents had I gotten her up on Christmas morning.”

“Five then?” she wondered. When he didn’t respond she stopped. The man had his hands in his jacket pockets and was whistling ‘innocently.’ “You woke your family before five in the morning? I pity them.”

“Actually, this year it was five but the year before it was four-thirty. In my defense, I had really terrible holidays growing up and I get a little over enthusiastic when I’m trying to give my godson the best experiences.” He gave her a look she couldn’t understand, “where are we going anyway? Isn’t there an ice cream shop in the square?”

“Only if you want long lines and overpriced cones.”

“The best one in the area is down this way,” the boy agreed. 

“Our favorite is a bit farther away but is well worth the walk. If you want, you can think of it as punishment for waking people at the ungodly hour of four on Christmas. Oh, and for eavesdropping.”

“It was four-thirty,” he grumbled under his breath. “Why is this one ice cream shop so great?”

“You get twice the ice cream for the same price as the place in the square,” the kid jumped excitedly.

“Plus, it is just down the street from a secondhand bookstore so I get a book and he gets ice cream as a reward for being patient.”

“Of course, you’re a bookworm, it appears everyone in my life loves books,” he conveniently forgot that it was only the females and Remus who really loved books.

“We prefer the term bibliophile, thank you very much,” she tried to sound snooty.

“I’m cursed, kid,” he looked down at Chris, “your mom sounds like my buddy Remus, and now that I think about it, Severus probably uses the term bibliophile too.”

“Your friends have weird names.”

“Chris.”

“It’s alright, they do kind of have strange names. I don’t think about it anymore. Our families have been sending their kids to this exclusive private school for generations, some families still stick to the old stuffy names and the new kids who get accepted into the school often comment on how strange names tend to be in the legacy families. Even my cousin Andromeda, who burned a great many bridges when she left the family and left the traditions behind, named her daughter Nymphadora. But if you ever meet Dora, do not let her know I told you what her name is because she would kill me; the kid’s a police officer and way tougher than I am.”

Chris giggled at him and skipped ahead a few paces. “Do you want to get a book first, Mom?” he asked, seeing the bookstore coming up.

She shook her head, “I wouldn’t want to scare our new friend with my book habits. Perhaps after ice cream.”

“If you want to stop for a book first, it’s fine with me. One of my best friends can spend hours in a bookstore if there is no one to pull him out. His fiancé is just as bad but both fail in comparison to my godson’s girlfriend; that girl could live in a bookstore. If I remember correctly, her dad said he couldn’t pick up her trunk on the first day of school because she had crammed so many books in there.”

“A girl after my own heart; but no, it’s fine. I am actually a bit behind on my reading. I should really finish at least two books before I get another. I’m already behind six books and if I went in there, I would buy two and confuse myself even more.”

“Fair enough, I applaud your self-restraint.”

Chris just shrugged and skipped along slightly ahead of them. After a minute he stopped though, staring at a familiar pub. 

Elizabeth sighed, seeing where her son was standing, “Not this again.” She said it so quietly Sirius barely heard her.

“Mom, maybe Sirius will believe me.”

“Sweet heart…”

“Sirius,” he looked at the man, interrupting his mother, “I swear there is a sign right there that says Leaky Cauldron, but mom doesn’t believe me.” The boy pointed right at the sign, directly over the doors of the dingy pub Sirius knew all too well.

He should have been surprised but for some reason he wasn’t. Perhaps it was the mud in the teacher’s desk thing or just a feeling, but the kid had magic and his mum had no idea. “Chris, have you ever tried to show your mom while holding her hand?”

“I’m not a baby, I’m nine after all. I don’t need to hold her hand as long as I stay close.”

“Nine now, are you?” she wondered, a bit of sarcasm lacing her tone.

“Well, almost nine,” he conceded. 

“I didn’t say you needed to hold her hand,” Sirius knew the boys got to the stage where they had to be strong and apparently Chris was there. Holding mommy’s hand was definitely not strong. “I just asked if you had ever tried it. Maybe she could see it if you were touching her.”

Elizabeth looked at him like he was crazy but the boy was considering it. Finally, deciding it couldn’t hurt, the boy took the three steps that were separating him and his mother, grabbed her hand and then pointed with the other, “Look. It’s right there, Mom.”

Sirius could see the shocked recognition in her eyes. For the first time, she was seeing what her son had been trying to show her. A dingy looking building tucked between quaint businesses on an old street in the middle of London. It was the sort of place you wouldn’t forget seeing, not because it was more impressive than the building around it; no, you would remember it simply because it was that unimpressive. A business that looked that old had stood the test of time and to still be open, because you could see movement in the windows, meant that there was something about it that kept people coming back. 

“How…I…” she shook her head. “What am I seeing right now?” She turned and looked at Sirius, “You knew it was there when Chris mentioned it. You knew and could see it and yet I couldn’t.” Elizabeth started pacing, “You didn’t touch me, I’m assuming it would have worked had you touched me just the same, but you didn’t so I would know that you didn’t do anything to me. Because my son touched me and I haven’t touched you since I shook your hand and I chose where we were going, you didn’t do anything to me to alter my perception of my surroundings. That means this place is real and for some reason I wasn’t allowed to see it but you were. Whatever you have, my son has.” She stopped, “you better start explaining Sirius or I am going to make a very large scene and I expect that if that building isn’t supposed to be seen, that making a scene would not work out well for you.”

He looked around; this would not be a good place to cause a scene. “How about we get that ice cream, like I promised. There are too many interested ears in there for me to suggest the Cauldron.” He gestured past the Leaky Cauldron and hit someone in the shoulder.

“Sorry about that… oh, hello, Bill.”

“Sirius.” Bill Weasley looked from the head of House Black to his companions. Sirius did not like the look that came into his eyes. He was in for a world of teasing from the Weasley boys, if that look told him anything at all. “Taking a day off?”

“Narcissa is shopping for baby things so that means I’m not stuck in meetings all day. My cousin is a slave driver.”

Bill chuckled, “That she is, but where would we be without her? Well, as much as I would love to grill you on whatever this is, I am going to be late for a meeting if I don’t hurry and you know what my bosses think about tardiness.”

“You aren’t going to tell the twins, are you?”

“Are you going to continue with the jokes and innuendos concerning a certain French girl with a crush?”

“Fair enough.” He waved the younger man away, “Go, before your boss fines you for being late.”

The trio watched the redhead go, shoulders shaking from laughing. “Would his boss really fine him for being late?” Elizabeth wondered.

Sirius shrugged, “Probably. He works at a bank. The same bank my account manager works at and he fines me for wasting his time so I could definitely see him fining an employee for tardiness.”

“I get the feeling that he might just fine you because you make a habit of wasting a lot of peoples’ time.”

Sirius chuckled, “You’re not wrong. He probably did invent that policy just for me. To be fair, I try really hard not to waste his time; I don’t have a death wish.”

“Well, can I fine you by making you buy me a bigger ice cream cone for wasting my time?” Chris wondered.

“Your kid is an opportunist.”

“That he is, but maybe we should go before he starts demanding triple scoops.”

“Lord Black,” a high-pitched voice called, causing the man to shudder. “I require a moment of your time.”

Elizabeth heard him either groan or growl, she wasn’t certain which, before his expression turned to one of indifference and he turned to face the interrupting woman fully. She did not want to be on the receiving end of that look.

“What does the department of transportation want with me, Miss…” he paused, pretending to search for her name, “Umbridge, isn’t it?”

“Hem, hem,” she breathed in irritation, “that is correct. I wanted to discuss your proposed legislation change in regards to my bill on were…”

“Are you aware of where you are standing right now, Umbridge?” he bit out before she could finish her sentence. “If you are not, allow me to enlighten you. You are standing on the sidewalk on Charing Cross road. This is not the time or place to discuss such things and you should know by now that I do not agree with anything you have put forth for a vote. I have made my opinion known and I do not stand for bigotry, which you have proven is your default.”

“This is important, Lord Black,” she nearly seethed.

“Unless the life of my godson, my cousin, my best friend or one of the other people connect to that group are in danger at this moment, it isn’t that important.” He offered his arm to Elizabeth, completely in Lord mode, “Good day, Umbridge.”

“But Lord…”

“I will be bringing this conversation up with Amelia,” he said, still walking away. “I am sure she will be quite interested in your lack of discretion.”

“I think she wants to kill you,” Elizabeth looked back briefly and witnessed a look so consumed by rage she thought the woman might explode. 

“It wouldn’t surprise me. My cousin is the reason she got fired; well, it was Umbridge’s lying but my cousin pushed the right buttons that saw it being noticed.”

“Lord Black?”

He gave her a rueful smile, “Sirius Black, at your service. Technically my family has a title, though it’s old and not really recognized in most circles. It is recognized at my old school, where your son will soon be offered a place.”

“Chris is going to get an invitation to a school I have probably never heard of and would never have applied to for him to attend?”

Sirius nodded, “It has to do with the fact that he could see the pub and, probably, the mud in his teacher’s desk.” 

“And the other strange stuff that sometimes happens that we both just ignore at this point?”

“That too.”

“Am I a magician?”

Sirius smiled, “Sort of, wrong term but not all together wrong.” They stepped into the ice cream shop, “Let’s get our ice cream and then we can find a nice spot to sit outside and talk, shall we?”

A few minutes later the trio sat on a bench at a small park just down the road. Sirius had gone just a little crazy in the shop and had bought the biggest ice cream sundae on the menu. Chris got his triple scoop while Elizabeth settled for a single scoop.

“Magic is real,” Sirius said simply. “Christopher and myself are wizards, my cousin is a witch. When Chris turns eleven, he will be able to get a wand so he can learn to control his magic. Some people are born with it, some aren’t. It does tend to run in families but not always. I have a cousin, or maybe he is an uncle,” Sirius shrugged, “who had magical parents but he can’t use it himself.”

“The opposite of Christopher.”

Sirius nodded, “Exactly, though I get the feeling you will take it better than Marius’s parents did. He was disowned and cast out of the family. I invited him back in just to irritate the old bigots, even though they are almost all dead.”

“That’s horrible. How could you just discard your child like that?”

“Horrible yes, but not uncommon in my family. My mother tried to do the same to me because of the House I was assigned to at school.”

“Your dorm assignment?”

“It is decided by a personality test… sort of… that’s probably an oversimplification but is close enough. I was basically sorted into the worst possible House for a Black child.” He smiled sadly, “Families are complicated sometimes. Most aren’t as bad as my own.”

“Okay,” she nodded, taking a lick of her ice cream to consider what she wanted to ask. Chris just sat there in the grass in front of the bench absorbing everything Sirius was telling them. “So, the Lord thing has to do with magic?”

“Yeah, old family heads were called Lords, more like medieval lords and ladies than parliament lords. Though I think my family might actually have a title in the house of Lords. I haven’t really thought to look and wouldn’t know what my responsibilities would be if I did have a seat.”

“What about that lady in pink?”

Sirius sighed softly, “I’m not going to lie to you. She actually dresses like that every day,” he tried to crack a smile but it didn’t reach his eyes. “But seriously, like in any society, things aren’t perfect and we are at the cusp of a bit of trouble. There are certain elements of society that think they are better than everyone else and think they should be in charge because of it.”

“That is common enough in nearly every society.”

“Except for the fact that wands can be used as weapons and certain spells don’t actually require much skill to cast. I was the black sheep, or maybe I should say white sheep, of my family. Most of my family believe that your parents should determine what you get in life. That those with powerful, old magic families should have all the power, even if someone with no magical parents comes in with more skill, more talent, better ideas. These people don’t care what you could do or what you could improve, if your four times great grandmother wasn’t a witch you don’t deserve much; if you have no magic in your ancestry then you are essentially a nonentity.”

“Sounds very old school British.”

“That is the wizarding world, old school.” He shrugged and studied his ice cream, “We are working on changing things. I took the family title and, with the help of my cousin, we are making progress. I’ve got the conservatives on the ropes and am appeasing the liberal front by making small changes. I wish they could be sweeping changes but I will admit, Narcissa was right to insist upon this approach. The big problem is Tom Riddle.”

“That is probably the most normal name you have said this whole time.”

“I agree. Riddle isn’t from a family like mine; in fact, he is barely a half blood. Technically, his mother was from an old family, although she was so inbred that it is unclear if she had any magic at all. His father was a regular muggle, no magic at all. Tom Junior grew up in an orphanage and didn’t know any of this. Somehow, he discovered that his mother was a descendent from one of the most famous names in our history, Salazar Slytherin. Riddle reinvented himself; gave himself a new name, with a false title. He got his school buddies together and they started recruiting. They told people they were fighting for purebloods, even though he wasn’t one.”

“What happened when he was opposed by purebloods?” When Sirius gave her a curious glance she shrugged, “there are always those who realize that sort of thing is wrong. I read a lot and it happens in history over and over again.”

“Blood traitors. My best friend, pureblood for generations but with a muggleborn wife, was labeled a blood traitor. I was labeled a traitor too. The Weasleys, the Bone family, Longbottoms, Prewetts. Old powerful families, poor families. It didn’t matter who you were, if you didn’t do what he said, he came for you.”

“Sounds a bit like Hitler.”

Sirius nodded, “Lily told me about him. Riddle was supposed to be really charismatic. Severus said he said things that seemed impossible but you just had to believe him. Then you were stuck and leaving meant dying.” He looked down at his hands, “He was defeated on October thirty-first 1981. No one is sure what happened but we have our theories. Riddle wanted my godson dead, a one-year-old child. That night we were betrayed by one of our closest friends. He took that madman to their hiding place and I lost James and Lily. Somehow, Lily did something and when he tried to kill Harry, the spell backfired and he died instead. A lot happened, most of it bad. I ended in prison, charged with someone else’s crimes.”

He stood up, unable to resist pacing in agitation and shook his head. “That isn’t the point though. The point is, he didn’t really die. He did something he shouldn’t have been able to. He shouldn’t have had the knowledge of how to do it but somehow, he did. Now, he is coming back, twice.”

“Twice? You mean there are two of him?” Chris wondered.

“Yeah, don’t ask me how. It’s dark and unnatural. The important thing to know is that we are doing all we can. We have done more than he knows to ensure that when we take him down, this time it is for good.”

Elizabeth stood, “Why did you tell me all of that? You could have just told me how amazing it all was. In fact, you focused on the bad.”

“I don’t know.” Sirius ran a hand through his hair, “I love magic and most of it is great. My life has just been ruled by this conflict for so long I can’t see past it. I went to James’s grave today. It was the first time I’d been. At first, I couldn’t because I was doing Peter’s time, then I was just trying to make sure Harry was okay. Maybe I am trying to caution you. Give you an idea that you might want to leave. I guess I’m just a pessimist under all the joking.”

“Tell me something amazing.”

“I can transform into a dog.”

Chris’s eyes went huge, “Can I see?”

“Unicorns are real. Certain brooms can be used to fly. We send mail by owl. Goblins run our bank.”

“Let’s go back to the dog, comment. I want proof.” Her son nodded excitedly at her side. “Or are you lying about that particular talent?”

Sirius held up a finger and looked around. The park wasn’t busy but there were people around. He nodded toward a group of trees and jogged toward them. When the mother and son pair caught up to him, he pulled his wand from the sleeve of his jacket, tucked in his holster. “This is my wand. I don’t really need it for this but I am going to cast a spell so that people won’t pay attention, just in case someone were to come too close. I’d rather not get in trouble for doing magic in front of a large crowd of people.” He grinned, flicked his wand and then tucked it back into his holster. 

Before their eyes, the man disappeared. One moment he was there, the next a rather large black dog stood in his place grinning at them with his tongue hanging out. The dog sat and tilted his head, waiting for a response.

“Well, that is brilliant,” Elizabeth said breathily. 

Chris ran forward but then stopped inches from the dog, his hand hovering. The large dog pushed his head up, into the boy’s hand, causing the boy to grin and the woman to laugh. 

“I may have just met you, but I can tell you milk that doggy face for all it’s worth.”

Sirius bounded around the boy and ran to the mother. Before she could even blink, he was a man again. “I usually just wake people up like that.”

“Dog breath, you evil, evil man,” she laughed.

“Can I do that?”

Sirius turned to the young boy. “Maybe someday. It’s very advanced but my godson just managed at fourteen so anything is possible.” He looked down at the woman he had just met. “Look, Elizabeth…”

“Liz.”

“Liz,” he smiled. “I don’t know why I was in Trafalgar Square today or what made me talk to you but I would be stupid not to take advantage. I’ve wasted a good portion of my life by doing the stupid thing and I want to take a chance at something smart.” He glanced at the boy who was looking up at them both, grinning, “I’d like to get to know you both. If things go well, maybe I could take you out some time; if not, at least I can try to save you from the darkness that has plagued my world for years.”

“I lost my husband five years ago. I can admit I didn’t handle it well. America didn’t feel like the right place for us so I packed up my son and moved him in with my mother. I have been taking care of her and my son ever since.” She shrugged, “I honestly didn’t think I would ever get a chance at a friend let alone potentially more; what with my son and his penchant for strange occurrences and my mother’s failing health. I could use a friend, for now at least.”

Sirius opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by his vibrating pocket. The fact that it was buzzing so hard meant it was a SOS, high alert call. “Sorry, I have to get this.”

He pulled out the mirror to find Bill staring back with a guarded look. 

“Is that a mirror?” Liz wondered quietly.

“Sirius,” Bill started, “there was an attack at the Alley.”


	38. The Problem With Riddles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As the last chapter says, Diagon Alley was attacked. Here it is.

**Diagon Alley**

Aria and Narcissa followed their group out of the small restaurant not far from Gringotts, content and truly relaxed for the first time in weeks. The small redhead had insisted on taking Narcissa out to shop for baby things; the older blonde had been far too stressed in recent days and had needed a distraction that had nothing to do with politics, Dark Lords or worrying about Harry and the tournament. She had organized a day for them to go shopping for the baby things Narcissa would need when her baby finally arrived. 

They had rushed to get Roderick set up as Magdalena had offered very little outside of clothes for the little boy; the excursion had not been fun or enjoyable. In the process of outfitting the small boy, Narcissa had yet another unpleasant conversation, this time with Magdalena’s mother.

_“How dare you show your face in public? You stole my grandson and then you show up buying things for a baby like you actually deserve to have him?”_

_Narcissa and Aria had turned from the furniture they were inspecting, surprised at the venom in the woman’s tone. “What are you referring to, Madam Dalworth?”_

_“Did you not hear me? You had the audacity to coerce my daughter into giving you her child because you are incapable of having more children and you think you have the right to show your face where I might see you. You have gone too far, Narcissa Black. I thought perhaps you would be different but you are just like your animal sister who is rotting in Azkaban.”_

_“I think you should check your facts before you accuse, lady,” Aria had said as calmly as she was able. “Your daughter approached Narcissa, not the other way around.”_

_Constance Dalworth laughed humorlessly, “Is that the story the baby stealer told you? You poor naïve child.” She looked around, making sure everyone was listening, “I have known Lucius Malfoy for a good portion of his life and I raised my daughter, so I trust their words over yours. Lucius was very vocal about Lady Black’s inability to perform her duty to him when we spoke of his divorce. How could you refuse to give the man the children he always wanted? You may have claimed the fault was with him but I know differently.” She paused to sneer, not noticing the looks of disbelief she was getting. The House of Black had been very open about the dissolving of the Malfoy marriage; there had been an article in the Prophet that included the possible terms for dissolution, and Narcissa not giving additional children was not one of them; all she had been required to do, in terms of children, was produce an heir._

_“I raised my daughter correctly!” she continued, “She would never fail in her duty to her family. She told me the sob story you used to convince her that you would be a better mother; it is not my daughter’s fault you are barren. That is my grandchild, and I demand you give him back to my daughter.”_

_Narcissa kept her anger in check, like any Black would. “It seems you are misinformed, Lady Dalworth.” She turned fully to the woman and placed a hand on her stomach, “I am not barren; I am with child now, confirmed by my healer.” This was fairly well known in the right circles. Many in the ministry knew, as did most of the founding families, meaning much of the Wizengamot knew as well. “The reason I did not have another child after Draco was that my former husband refused to allow me more children; he wanted an heir and after I had provided that he saw no reason to clutter his house with additional offspring. Lucius went so far as to refuse a physical relationship with me to ensure we did not conceive another child; this, of course, did not mean he never had sex, I was the only one denied in that area. He liked to parade his conquests around the house while our son slept down the hall.”_

_Constance opened her mouth to speak but Narcissa held up a hand to stall her, “It is my turn to speak; there are other accusations that I have not answered.” The older woman shivered at the look in Narcissa’s eyes, it spoke of her demise. “Your daughter came to me, Constance Dalworth. She claimed she was incapable of caring for her son. Lucius left her with nothing and her parents wanted nothing to do with his child, she said as such while on her knees. She never wanted children, you see, because she always wanted to be the center of attention. Mothers are never the center of attention, their children are.” She gave the woman a questioning glance, “Did you offer to help her? Did you allow her to use your money or your elves to help raise Roderick?” It had not escaped Narcissa’s notice that Constance had yet to say the boy’s name._

_“She had sex and ended up pregnant; it was her duty to care for the child without aid of her mother. Only unmarried women would require assistance from their parents. I am the grandmother. It is my right to spoil the child and return him to his mother when I am done with him. Lucius was rich, she had access to plenty of money and an army of elves; Magdalena was fine. Do not try to pin your story on me.”_

_Aria scoffed next to Narcissa, “That is where you are wrong.”_

_“My friend is correct. Lucius is not, and has never been known for being generous and after me, I fear he was less generous with his new wife. She said he did not organize for a stipend to be given to her monthly and this is perhaps the only wholly honest thing she said to me when she came to me. It took three years of marriage for Lucius to put through the stipend for me and I had my own accounts to fall back on. Getting the money did not matter to me, but your daughter is flighty and I suspect she burned through any money you and your husband gave her years ago. Added to that, Lucius was on thin ice with the goblins for possession of forbidden artifacts. His arrest brought forth information that he was in contact with another such item; if I am not mistaken, his accounts were seized by the goblins, just as he was warned they would be should there be evidence of his continued disregard for the laws of nature.” She took a breath and nearly smirked at the confusion in the woman’s face, “And lastly, there are very few elves at house Malfoy that are capable of caring for a child properly and Lucius lost the best of them to Harry Potter. The rest were never loyal to him but are in fact still loyal to me. Lucius would have needed to instruct the head elf that she was allowed to direct them for her to be able to use them appropriately. I think this is unlikely knowing Lucius.”_

_Before Constance could reply to any of the information Narcissa had just dumped on her, Arias stepped in. “Then there was the fact that she showed me the document she had drawn up at Gringotts that rescinded her rights to Roderick. Narcissa was not the one to request the documents be drawn up, Magdalena was. In cases like this, Magdalena and Lucius were the only ones with the ability to request the paperwork and the goblins ensure there is no coercion before they will even begin the process.”_

_Narcissa nodded, she had explained the ins and outs of parental rights under ministerial law and Goblin law to Aria. Providing her with references to check should she require them. Seeing Constance roll her eyes, she decided to add a bit more information for the attentive ears listening in on their discussion. “In order for the goblins to agree to submit legal paperwork of this nature there had to be no blood family willing to take the child. Or in the case of willingness, none that were capable of taking the child. Lucius is incapable for a number of reasons, not that the goblins would have ever considered him a viable candidate, and I take it you were unwilling, because they would have asked.”_

_“It is the responsibility of the mother to raise the child,” Constance Dalworth scoffed._

_“Then why are you so angry that I was willing to raise your grandchild when your own daughter was not? Why do you call me names and insult my integrity? Do you think it wise to claim I am attempting line theft? That is, essentially, what you accused me of without actually saying the words. What gave you the right to speak to me this way? Did you think you had proof of these so-called transgressions?”_

_“I asked her where my grandson was and she said you had him. She said you were raising him from now on.”_

_“Did she specifically tell you that Narcissa had stolen her son? Did she tell you we convinced her to sign over her rights?”_

_The woman opened her mouth but closed it a moment later. She shook her head, “She said it was determined that you were a better mother than she ever would be. My daughter admitted to giving up her rights to her son and would not look me in the eyes.”_

_“It seems to me, Constance, that your daughter wants the glory but does not think she needs to work for it,” Narcissa sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “She wants to be the trend setter, be the center of attention, have the most influential husband, be respected, admired, but blames everyone else when she can’t have it. She gives enough truth to get by but leaves out the details, allowing others to embarrass themselves, as you have just done.”_

_“I knew she was lying when she spoke with us but wasn’t sure exactly what was the lie,” Aria told the woman. “Now I know the lie isn’t that no one would support her, it was that no one would let her take all the credit for doing nothing. You just can’t admit it so you cast stones at those who would do the right thing.”_

_“It is a good thing our families had no business ties. Your husband does not need to be angered due to you losing him a partner. He should be angered that we would never consider doing business with him, but the fault for that does not lie solely on your shoulders.” Narcissa then glared at the woman before turning her attention back to the furniture, “Now if you don’t mind, your grandson has been sleeping in a thirty-year-old bassinette so the enchantments are gone and the only thing keeping it safe for him is elf magic. I would like to replace it quickly, as I actually care about his safety and happiness.”_

Constance Dalworth had left that day in shame with no leg to stand on. All she had done was add to Narcissa’s stress levels and anger the overprotective people in her life. Yet another reason for Aria insisting on giving Narcissa a day away.

The day had gone well so far. Andromeda, Dora, Elanor Parkinson, Tatiana Flint, Dalia Zabini and Imogen Greengrass had joined them in their shopping excursion and it had pleased Narcissa that at least some of her acquaintances had stayed loyal to her despite her split from Lucius. Lucius had never really allowed her to spend much time with Imogen due to his poor relationship with the house of Greengrass. With Sirius’ push in the Wizengamot and his alliance with the neutral families, Narcissa had been able to spend a great deal of time with the older woman. Dalia, on the other hand, had not been welcome at Malfoy Manor. The suspicious deaths of her husbands caused Lucius to forbid that relationship. Tatiana Flint had approached Narcissa after her husband’s arrest for his actions in relation to the Greyback incident. Typical of her birth family, Tatiana had always been much more neutral than her husband. She had been disgusted by what her husband had done and what he had brought down on her and her son. 

Elanor Parkinson was perhaps the most surprising of her companions. Narcissa had tried to draw the woman out of her shell when they met over the years but she was entirely cowed by her husband. With Lucius’s fall from grace and the cancelation of the betrothal contract between their children, Edwin Parkinson had lost a great deal of control over his wife and now Elanor was trying to find herself in a world controlled by men.

They had started at the one baby store in the Alley but had quickly realized that they would need to go muggle for decorations. The magical store only had four themes, the same four themes that they had when she was pregnant with Draco, and she really wanted something different. While stars and moons were cute and fitting for a Black, that had been done to death in the Black family.

After spending far too much time cooing over tiny clothing, some of which she bought for Roderick and her unborn daughter, and other adorable baby things, she had decided on a garden theme for her baby girl’s room; greens, yellows, a little purple with fairies, and woodland creatures hiding among the flowers. Not too cute, and definitely not pink, two things her man really would find impossible to look at. For Roderick she had gone with a jungle animal theme; blues and greens with giraffes, elephants and monkeys. It was the baby blanket that sold her on that one. 

The store workers had tried to sell her furniture for the room as well but she knew she would be getting that from the Alley; she had an appointment to see a carpenter about it later that afternoon. While the muggle furniture had given her ideas on shape, it just didn’t have the safety and convenience of magical furniture. Self-rocking bassinets really were the only way to go, especially when it was impossible for the baby to fall out.

She knew that her friends would never be able to handle lunch outside the Alley; Elanor, Imogen and Tatiana spent almost no time around muggles, they had pushed their luck enough while shopping. Elanor had pulled her wand out three times in less than ten minutes, and the only reason the salesman hadn’t noticed is because Dora had done some heavy flirting to distract him, giving her chest a subtle boost to ensure she had his undivided attention. They had a pleasant time, talking about their children, reminiscing about the time when they were babies who actually showed they needed their parents instead of the overly independent school children most of them had now; this led to a number of embarrassing moments for Dora as her mother insisted on telling all of her most revealing (naked) moments of her childhood.

“Are you feeling better about everything?” Aria asked, wrapping her arm around Narcissa’s so they walked side by side.

“Yes, thank you, Aria. I really did need a day away from everything that is going on right now. Focusing on the future of my family is just what I needed,” she placed her free hand on her stomach with a smile. “It is hard to be frightened and stressed when holding infant clothing, especially when it reminds you that your child used to be that small. Draco had the cutest little toes as a baby and Roderick has those chubby baby cheeks. I can’t believe I left him with Dobby though; I know he is great with babies but I’ve only had him for fifteen days!”

“I’m glad and I know he is fine, the elves…” Aria trailed off and froze, her wolf screaming at her. Something was amiss. “Find cover,” she said, dropping her friend’s arm and releasing her wand from her holster pushing Narcissa toward the buildings, making their way toward the nearest door that would not put their backs toward where she sensed the danger.

“Aria?” Narcissa looked at her friend then glanced ahead to see that Dora had also stopped and appeared tense, Andy at her side. Her three other friends were just ahead of them, confusion on their faces due to Aria and Tonks’s warnings.

_“Avada Kedavra”_

“Cissy?” Elanor asked a moment before the bright green spell hit her from behind, stealing the life from her. 

Andy and Nymphadora sent off retaliatory spells toward where the spell originated as her other three companions scrambled to find cover, rushing for a tea shop to their right. Aria saw Imogen stumble and nearly go down when she was clipped by a blasting hex but, with the aid of Tatiana, was able to dive into the tea shop. Dalia positioned herself behind the door, propping it open for cover so she could return fire as well and leave an escape route open for other shoppers.

Dora cast a Patronus that rushed off as she pulled her mom toward the tea house’s outdoor seating, using Dalia’s spell fire as cover. She flicked her wand causing the tables to fall on their sides creating low cover; hopefully help would arrive soon.

Three men approached, two of them casting cutting and blasting hexes at any and all in their path. Aria watched in horror as a mother went down, bleeding as she fell on top of her small son. Beside her, Narcissa cast a shield, deflecting a curse aimed at another young woman, who managed to slide into the music shop she was rushing toward. 

“Take cover,” Dora called between spells, ducking as needed behind the tables, “get into buildings if you can.” Directing her attention toward their assailants, she amplified her voice, “This is Auror Tonks, on behalf of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I demand you cease fire and drop your wands.” The three laughed and continued to cause destruction.

“I know who they are,” Narcissa said as she fired off a particularly nasty Black family spell toward the three attackers before ducking back behind the small wall protruding out from the bakery, blocking their path to the door. “The eldest man is Tiberius Nott. Yaxley is the man on the left.”

“Do I want to know who the man in the middle is?” Aria cast her own blasting hex at the trio as she peaked around the wall, aiming at their feet in hopes of getting around any shielding, instead it was deflected into the ground to the right of Nott, sending cobblestone flying.

“Though he looks younger than he did when I last saw him, that is the Dark Lord. I have to assume that is the body he conjured using Mister Markov as a sacrifice.”

“Can you Apparate?”

“No, Riddle must have managed to put up wards against it, he always did in the past so he can cause that much more death and destruction. That means any help will have to come on foot or Floo into one of the nearby businesses, delaying backup.” She looked to her sister who was crouched behind an upturned table that somehow made it to the middle of the sidewalk, “I hope Andy reinforced that table.”

A spell hit the wall on the other side of their heads, chucks of brick flew all around them. Narcissa looked to her sister, their eyes meeting, “Cover me, Aria.”

Narcissa and Andromeda stood, Aria, Tonks and Dalia firing spells wildly, causing the men to shield or deflect the spells designed to maim. Their wands moved as one and though they spoke no words, a brilliantly white spell flew from each of their wands at the same moment. The spells traveled toward their target, the reborn Dark Lord, combining in the middle, increasing the power by more than double.

Tom Riddle tilted his head, and reached to his side, physically pulling Yaxley in front of him just before the spell would have impacted him. Yaxley went down instantly, enveloped in the bright white of the spell; he would not get back up. 

Nott fired a sickly yellow spell at the still vulnerable Andromeda.

Narcissa and Dora cried out in dismay, seeing what looked like an altered cutting curse impact the eldest of their group. Andy had attempted to deflect the spell while ducking back behind her table but was unsuccessful. Andromeda Tonks’s wand and lower are went flying, leaving her body, as she fell back behind cover in shock and pain.

Without conscious thought of her own safety, Narcissa stepped out from behind the wall, going toward her sister, leaving her open to attack.

_“Crucio.”_

Aria saw the Dark Lord cast at her pregnant friend, a nasty grin on his oddly handsome face. She needed to get Narcissa back behind the wall where she would have some cover, she could not allow history to repeat itself. She ran before he even finished verbalizing the spell, as quickly as her wolf enhanced body would allow; she grabbed the older woman’s arm, pulling her back toward the wall, using her own forward momentum to propel Narcissa back behind cover more quickly, and placing herself right in the path of the curse.

The redhead crumbled as the pain coursed through her body. As she fell, she saw Narcissa stumble but remain on her feet, now behind cover, her baby still safe. The pain was worse than any change she had ever experienced and she knew she would never complain about the change again if she survived this.

“Come out and face me, Lady Black.” 

The pain stopped as the man spoke. She managed to push herself up onto her hands and knees and started to push herself back toward cover.

“Your family has crossed me for the last time, I need to make you all suffer. It started with dear Regulus, and now you, Sirius and your armless sister over there will pay for his defiance.” he paused and his eyes returned to Aria’s prone form. _“Crucio.”_

“ARIA,” Narcissa cried as the torture curse once again hit the werewolf. This time she cried out in pain.

“You can spare her pain, if only you take her place. I will make you regret you were ever born, but your friend could just die quickly, the pain could stop entirely. _Crucio._ ”

“At least you didn’t claim you would let her live; I would not have been stupid enough to believe that. Tell me, how does it feel to know that only one member of my family actually continues to follow you, and she was insane before she ended up in Azkaban? Does it make you feel inadequate to know that you couldn’t even hold the loyalty of the weakest willed Black?” She hoped insulting him would draw his attention back to her hiding place and away from Aria and her sister. Narcissa tried to get sight of Dora and Dalia but every time she started to look; Nott fired at her hiding place causing her to quickly duck back down out of harm’s way.

Aria let out a gasping breath as the curse stopped once more. Where were the Aurors?

“Enough, Narcissa Black. If you don’t come out and face me, I will kill the redhead and then I will finish off the one who lost her hand. Then perhaps I will rid the world of the Metamorph.”

“You might as well just kill me,” Aria ground out before Narcissa could continue to taunt the vile man. She could see Dora struggling to get herself under control. Dalia met her eyes with determination. “You’re going to die no matter what but at least if you kill me now, I won’t be able to hunt you down and rip your throat out myself.”

“You’re stronger than you appear, little girl. You might be useful; I would let you live if you swear to serve me.”

“Never. My loyalty lies with those who oppose you.” She looked at Narcissa and saw tears brimming in her eyes. As the redhead finished speaking, Dalia jumped from behind her cover, screaming in Italian, casting at the duo.

Voldemort casually flicked his wand causing a broken sign to intercept the spell, and it instantly started melting. He smirked at Dalia and banished a broken piece of that same sign at her. The rot iron bar flew at her like a javelin; Dalia tried to get out of the way but the rod still impacted her stomach, just to the left of her belly button. The Italian woman went down hard, her upper body falling behind the still open door of the tea house. 

“Very well,” he sneered at her as if he hadn’t just had an exchange with Dalia Zabini, “I think you need to feel some more pain before you die. Would you like to have a little fun with her Tiberius?”

“Thank you, my Lord. Now what should I do to her? Well, if she is going to die, I don’t really think she needs organs.” He smiled maliciously and cast the organ dissolving curse directly at the prone redhead.

Aria braced herself, prepared for pain and then death when she heard a powerful shout in a language she didn’t understand. 

The pain did not come. There was an audible clang as the spell impacted a golden dome that now surrounded their side of the altercation. The shield covered not only her but also her companions and the people who were also unable to gain access to the businesses for cover. 

“Tom Marvolo Riddle,” another voice called clearly, “You are in violation of natural law. Gringotts has proof of creation of level seven forbidden objects and as such you belong in the afterlife. You have broken the laws of nature and magic; you must face your crimes.”

Aria looked behind her to find Bill Weasley, his wand out, sweat on his brow as he held the massive shield. Beside him were a goblin and another man; the second man also had his wand out and appeared to be chanting.

 _“Avada Kedavra,”_ the Dark Lord snarled, aiming once more at Aria.

The brilliant green curse of death traveled through the gold dome; there were no magical shields that could block the killing curse. 

Aria closed her eyes, a tear leaking out in response to the life she would not get to live, but opened them a moment later when she heard the goblin snarl something in his own language and the sidewalk in front of her shifted. 

Had she been watching, she would have seen the goblin drop to his knees, placing his palms on the ground and then make a scooping motion before raising his arms. The ground before her rose with the goblins arms and intercepted the killing curse meant for her.

“Anti-Apparition wards are down,” the man standing with Bill called, his voice a bit breathy.

Before his sentence was complete, multiple pops of Apparition sounded. 

“Tom Marvolo Riddle,” a tall black man with a powerful voice called over the chaos. “You will surrender your wand to the Aurors surrounding you or prepare to fight.” The Aurors had arrived.

Like every Dark Lord before him, when outnumbered and without the aid of surprise, he chose to flee instead of surrender.

“MOM,” Nymphadora Tonks scrambled from her place of cover, her face and other exposed flesh bleeding from being hit by flying debris. She dropped to her knees beside her mother, afraid to touch her.

Narcissa was at her side a moment later, her wand out, casting diagnostic spells. “She is alive but in shock,” she said, attempting to keep her emotions under control. Her eyes fell on her sister’s arm, zeroing in on her elbow, seeing the empty space where her lower arm should have been. “It seems the spell cauterized the wound when it hit.” She looked to her niece and saw tears streaming down her pale face. Her formerly pink hair was now just like her mother’s, long black curls.

“The cauterization probably saved her life, it reduced the blood loss,” a man dropped down beside them, his robes identifying him as a healer. “I need to get her to St. Mungo’s immediately.”

Narcissa stood and pulled Dora up with her, allowing the healer to place the emergency portkey on Andromeda’s chest, taking them both away a moment later.

Bill was the first to reach Aria, who had only just managed to push herself to her hands and knees. He instantly helped her find a sitting position, and sat himself to allow her to lean on him. “Are you alright? How bad is the pain?”

“I’ll live,” she said as another wave of nerve pain rolled through her, a tear rolling down her cheek. “As long as Narcissa is fine, it was worth it. Thank you for showing up when you did.” She turned her head just enough to look at the younger man, “If you hadn’t shown when you did, I definitely wouldn’t be here.” Once again, she paused to convulse in pain. “That was a brilliant shield. What language were you speaking?”

Bill wished there was something he could do for her, but there were much more severely wounded individuals that the healers were attempting to save and he personally had no knowledge of how to counter exposure to the Cruciatus curse. “It’s an Egyptian spell; invented by an overly paranoid pharaoh. That is actually the first time I have ever cast the spell successfully outside of training or during excavation. It usually requires a lot more concentration on my part to get it right.”

She looked at him incredulously, “You cast a spell you only had minimal success with when my organs were about to be dissolved?” 

“I had just supervised a trainee class where the spell was covered,” he shrugged, “it was the first that came to mind and is one of the few that will actually block that curse.”

Her chuckle turned to a moan when, “Well, I thank you but feel a bit like a science experiment.” She took a shuddering breath, “I want Remus,” the words were little more than a whisper. Every few seconds, her body shook with the pain the aftershocks of the Cruciatus curse caused.

“I’ll call him on the mirror now,” Bill said quietly, supporting her as Aurors and healers rushed around them. 

The war had officially reared its ugly head. 

…

Remus ran through the alley, Severus at his side and moving just as quickly. Neither had really taken a real breath since Bill had called. Bill had contacted Remus first; the werewolf had taken half a second to tell his seventh-year class that he had to cancel and to tell the Head Girl to inform Professor McGonagall that there was an emergency before running out of his class at full speed. 

Apparently, Bill had gotten ahold of Severus a moment after he disengaged because they met at the main entrance. Severus looked as pale and frightened as he felt. 

Both had gotten the same message. There was an attack at Diagon Alley by the resurrected Lord Voldemort. Aria and Narcissa were involved and both were alive. There were casualties but that was all Bill had managed to say before they had each hung up on him.

They had been forced to head off the grounds since the only Floo with off grounds connections for transportation was the one in the headmaster’s office and he was not in his office at the moment. Once off the grounds they then Apparated to an approved Apparition point as the ministry was controlling all travel in and out of the Alley at the moment. They had temporarily shut down all Floo access in the Alley and had Aurors stationed at all Apparition points. There would be no more casualties that day.

The Auror at the entry point must have been given advance notice not to delay them because the second he recognized them he had told them where to go and stepped aside; it was probably for the best because both men were prepared to curse anyone who stood in their way. Seeing the destruction was terrifying. The cobblestone was full of potholes and blood stains were splattered everywhere. What outdoor furniture there had been was all destroyed, covered in burn marks, with chunks missing or in multiple pieces.

Aria and Narcissa were sitting at a damaged table outside the bakery, the chairs they sat on appeared to be conjured as they appeared new. The wall behind them had suffered obvious spell fire. Dora was standing off to the side, talking with Kingsley Shacklebolt. Bill was just beyond them with another man, a goblin, Amelia Bones and Auror Dawlish. 

The small redhead saw them first. She stiffened then looked up, her eyes scanning the area. When her eyes met his own, he could see the pain that ruled her being. She reached over, touching Narcissa’s arm as she slowly, painfully, got to her feet. 

Remus somehow moved even faster than he had been since he received the news. In what seemed like a blink of an eye, he had Aria wrapped in his arms, his face buried in her wildly curling hair. She smelled of pain. His wolf was both elated and enraged; he breathed in relief having her whole and, in his arms, but wanted to end the lives of those who caused her to smell of pain. “Are you alright?”

Aria shuddered in his arms, “I didn’t know the Cruciatus curse hurt that bad,” she spoke so quietly that only Remus, with his werewolf enhanced hearing, could hear the words. “It’s like a years’ worth of transformations all at once.”

He growled as he tightened his arms around her, “Severus,” he allowed his eyes to drift to his friend and colleague, “Do you have any anti-Cruciatus potion?”

The dark man glanced over just as Aria’s body spasmed due to the after effects of the torture curse. Remus saw him whisper something urgently to Narcissa who shook her head. The usually controlled man seemed to sigh in relief. Severus placed his arm around her waist and moved them so they were standing next to the werewolf pair. “Kreacher,” Severus called quietly. The old elf had insisted on serving the potions master because of his relationship with Narcissa. The grizzled elf was good with potions so Severus had spent some time showing him his stores and explaining names and purposes for just such an occasion. “I need you to bring me a vial of the anti-Cruciatus potion immediately.” When the elf popped back out, he turned his attention to Aria, “How long were you under the curse?”

Aria took a shuddering breath, “I’m not entirely sure. Only a few seconds at a time but I was hit three times.”

“Five,” Narcissa said, placing a hand on the smaller woman’s back. “You were hit five times, three by Riddle and twice by Nott. The first two by Riddle lasted about ten or fifteen seconds each. The first by Nott was about the same. After that one was the third by Riddle and it was held the longest; I would say about thirty-five seconds. The last by Nott was actually the shortest exposure time.”

“I don’t remember the ones by Nott, Riddle was bad enough.”

Narcissa kissed her friend’s cheek, “You took the curse for me,” her voice was thick with emotion. “It is because of you that history did not repeat itself. Thank you.”

Aria looked first at Severus then at Narcissa, ignoring the pop that announced Kreacher’s return and the aching pain that seemed to be her constant companion at the moment, “I couldn’t let that happen to you. I figured that I would also be more able to handle the pain.”

“And you are correct,” Severus spoke quietly, emotion nearly choking him. “Most would have retreated into themselves after three of Riddle’s Crucios; when you add Nott you almost ensure that they would have joined the Longbottoms in the Janus Thickey Ward at St. Mungo’s. Spending a minute under a wizard of Nott’s power would put you in severe pain for hours. Thirty seconds of the dark lord’s Cruciatus could destroy anyone’s mind simply because he is that much more powerful.” He handed her a vial of potion, “Three swallows now. I want to monitor the aftershocks; you will need more but I want to monitor you to determine when and how often.” He waved his wand over her as she took the potion vial and frowned, her nerves were showing considerable damage but he could already detect healing in the worst spots, due to her inner wolf no doubt. She really was lucky to still have her mind. “Perhaps we should sit, it looks like Madam Bones is coming this way and I don’t think you should waste your strength on standing while you speak with her.”

Just as he said, Amelia Bones approached a moment later, “Aria, Narcissa, I am glad to see you are both standing. Can we take a seat and go through what happened?”

The group settled at the table the two had commandeered before Severus and Remus arrived; Severus pulling his chair close to Narcissa while Remus pulled Aria into his lap as it was the only option his wolf was willing to consider at that moment. 

“We were just shopping for baby things,” Narcissa said in a flat tone while placing a hand on her belly. “I haven’t really had time to focus on any of that and with the addition of Roderick, it was long overdue. We were coming out of the restaurant just around the corner after spending the morning in muggle London when it happened.”

“A chill went down my spine and I could feel the danger,” Aria said, giving Madam Bones a pointed look, hoping the woman understood that it was her inner wolf that gave her the warning. “But I didn’t get the warning out fast enough.”

“Elanor Parkinson was hit with the killing curse a moment after Aria told us to take cover. Riddle was the one to cast it.” Narcissa gripped Severus’s hand tightly, “Poor Pansy has had enough trouble fitting in this year while trying to appease her father and now she doesn’t have a mother to act as a buffer at home.”

Narcissa continued, with Aria adding things here and there, until she got to her sister’s injury. “We stepped out from behind cover hoping to end it. The coward pulled his minion in front of him to intercept the spell; and Nott fired a modified cutting curse. Andy…” her voice broke and she had to fight to keep herself from falling apart.

“Andromeda ducked and tried to deflect the spell,” Aria continued. “Narcissa and Dora froze as her arm went flying and she went down. Riddle tried to take advantage of the moment to take Cissy down, casting a Crucio at her but I pulled her to safety but in the process left myself open to the attack instead. I went down and Riddle started taunting Narcissa in between Crucios.” To prove her point, another aftershock sent her body into small convulsions and she moaned. 

“I thought I could distract him by keeping him talking but Nott decided to help his master torture my friend. Aria was hit by five Crucios while I hid.”

“That is when Bill and the goblin showed up,” Aria added. “I recognized Bill’s voice but not his words and this golden shield surrounded us. The goblin said something about breaking laws and needing to face judgement. Instead of surrendering he cast the killing curse at me. And I am not sure what exactly happened because I closed my eyes, thinking I was dead.” Remus tightened his arms around her, growling softly into her hair. “Someone said the wards were down and then your team arrived.”

“Dalia Zabini also tried to help as well,” Dora said coming up behind them, her voice and face void of emotion. “She cast a spell in Italian before Riddle cast the killing curse. I’m not sure what it would have done but it looked deadly. Riddle blocked it with debris and banished a sign poll into Dalia; last I heard she was in critical condition at St. Mungo’s. The healer who saw her first wasn’t hopeful. The other two from our group, Tatiana Flint and Imogen Greengrass escaped relatively unscathed; they helped a few others to safety. Mrs. Flint is exhausted while Madam Greengrass has some minor lacerations from flying debris, a minor burn mark on her leg and a twisted ankle.”

Narcissa stood and held her arms out for her niece and the young woman fell into them with a muffled sob. 

“Auror Tonks,” Amelia spoke quietly, “you have already given Senior Auror Shacklebolt your statement. You are relieved of duty and are ordered to go to St. Mungo’s. Take care of your mother; I’ll see you in the office in two days.” The head of the DMLE knew what it felt like to not know if your family would survive. She had lost her older brother Edgar to the previous war and was lucky her baby brother had escaped as unscathed as he had. The Bones family had been one of the most targeted in the last war and were lucky they had not been decimated the way the Potter, Prewitt and Longbottom families had.

“Your father is already there and he would feel much more settled if he could see for himself that you aren’t injured.” Sirius walked up and cast a quick healing spell to close a cut on her face. “You made the Black family proud today, Miss Tonks.”

The metamorphmagus squared her shoulders and nodded, using his words as strength. “I’ll be at work tomorrow,” a moment later she had turned over her shoulder and Apparated to the hospital.

“Madam Black,” a young Auror asked cautiously, Kingsley Shacklebolt right behind him, “could I ask what you did to Yaxley? Witnesses say you and your sister hit him with a bright white spell and that he dropped. Most claimed he was dead but he’s still alive, but we can’t detect any of his magic or any brainwaves so it is surprising he is still breathing. We can’t figure out what you did to him, or how to revive him.”

Narcissa looked up from her hands that were clenched in her lap, Severus’s arm around her shoulder. “He won’t wake. If he were going to, he would have done so already.” She looked at Severus, using his supportive gaze for strength and comfort. Her eyes then went to Sirius, who nodded in either understanding or permission. “The spell is called Atonement. It is ancient and only members of the Black family know how to cast it; only those of Black ancestry can. Some members are never taught how to cast it, either because of lack of power or they have upset their elders in some way.”

“My parents weren’t taught the spell, my mother due to her insanity and my father for his lack of spine, but I was taught by uncle Alphard with permission from grandfather,” Sirius added, “The family head should always know how to cast the most revered of family spells or know how to look up the instructions.”

“Bellatrix was the only one of my sisters not taught,” Narcissa said quietly, “it was decided she didn’t have the mental stability to handle the consequences if it failed.” 

“Atonement is only ever supposed to be cast on someone who has harmed the House of Black.” Sirius let his gaze travel to the prone figure of Yaxley. “If the aggressor attacks the House of Black in retaliation for something we have done, the one who casts Atonement faces judgement by the family magic; it was thought that this would most likely be Bella’s fate if she were ever given the knowledge. If, however, magic determines that the aggressor is at fault, they will be judged by magic. The more hostile the attacker and their sins, the more harshly they are judged.”

“One such as Voldemort would be judged instantly and would face death.” She continued for her cousin. “To those watching, it would be instantaneous, for the aggressor it will seem like a lifetime of pain. It is said that Atonement forces the enemy of House Black to feel every pain they have inflicted on one of its children threefold.”

“For those like Yaxley, they are left in what is called the everlasting sleep. His crimes are much less than the crimes of his master, so magic does not deem death the best choice. While witnessing his crimes, experiencing the pain he caused, he was given a chance to atone. Had he felt remorse when the magic judged him, he would have woken.” Sirius turned his attention back to the Auror. “Usually, when the aggressor awakes, they are missing at least some of their magical strength if not all.”

Narcissa sighed, “Most likely those who do not wake within a few minutes never will. They were judged and showed no remorse for any action they were shown by magic. If he never shows remorse, he will waste away and eventually die. We hoped to hit Tom Riddle. When Atonement is cast, intent is extremely important. When two members of House Black cast the spell and the spells combine, it increases the power of the spells. It brings down the heart of House Black onto the aggressor and will follow their family magic; any with the same magic as the one under Atonement who shares their feelings and aggression will also fall to the spell.”

“Had they succeeded,” Sirius locked eyes with his cousin, “they could have brought down the resurrected Tom Riddle and the shade of Voldemort all at once.”

“Atonement, like the killing curse, cannot be shielded magically. Tom Riddle chose the only true shield for the spell, a physical one.”

Amelia and her Aurors listened on in fear and wondered. The Black family and their potential for destruction was respected and feared and this was just one more reason not to cross them. The Head of the DMLE thanked her lucky star that Sirius and Narcissa were on her side in this conflict. With their help, perhaps they could actually defeat this evil before the children were forced to clean up their mess.

**Grimmauld Place**

The House of Black was sleeping under powerful wards. After the attack on the Black sisters in Diagon Alley, Sirius called an emergency meeting for those members of the family who were not involved and immediately moved them all to more securely warded locations. Those locations were also put on lock down wards, meaning it was that much more difficult to breach those houses.

Nymphadora Tonks was staying at Grimmauld Place, mostly because her father refused to allow her to stay at the hospital with him. The Junior Auror had an apartment in the Ally but it wasn’t the most secure building. Her parents’ property was not heavily warded so she conceded that she must stay at Grimmauld for the time being. The only problem was that she couldn’t sleep without seeing it all over again. 

She sat in the library, one of the most protected rooms in the country and fought to keep her sobs quiet. 

“Are you alright?”

Dora straightened and looked over her shoulder while wiping under her eyes. “I’m sorry Ralston, did I wake you?”

The older Nott walked into the room and slid into a chair in front of Dora. “I wasn’t sleeping.” He gave her a crooked smile, “I have been doing some research into family magics, hoping there was something I could do to track my father down; he needs to be stopped and, right now, the best way to do that is find him before he strikes again.” He paused, looking her over closely. Her eyes were red. “Is there anything I can do for you? I am a good listener.” 

“All I have ever wanted to be was an Auror.” Dora said after a moment of silence. “I knew I could have saved Sirius from Azkaban if I was investigating his case. I’m not naive; I knew that there was danger involved and I wasn’t stupid enough to think that it was all action. The job is, more often than not, searching records and talking to people; collecting evidence.” She ran her hands through her hair, hair that was still a carbon copy of her mother’s long, curly black hair. “Today wasn’t my first firefight, but it was the only one I went into without a Senior Auror at my back. I’m good for a Junior Auror. Shack and Moody made sure of that, but I have never led an op and I fell short today.”

“You were facing off against one of the most ruthless men in recent history and two people who follow him. My father and Yaxley weren’t casting stunners, they were casting to kill and maim. When you add Riddle into the equation the odds are that much worse.”

“My mom and aunt didn’t let that stop them though. They got in much better hits than I did; they took down Yaxley and it would have been Riddle if he hadn’t used his minion as a human shield. I still don’t really understand what they did either.” She sighed, “I am ashamed of myself; I let myself get distracted by what my family was doing and because of it, my mother lost her arm. I had a chance to take your father down, I see it when I look back at the sequence of events, but instead he took my mom’s arm.”

The young Auror got up and started pacing. “Every time I close my eyes, I see it happen. Sometimes mom doesn’t duck in time and instead of losing her arm, it’s her head she loses. I see the killing curse connect with Aria instead of that wall of stone that the goblin pulled from the ground. We were lucky to survive and I didn’t help at all.”

Ralston stood as well, “You can’t think like that. What you need to focus on is the fact that you did survive. Your mom is alive, which is more than others can say tonight. One of theirs was taken down and the chances of someone else joining the cause is slim. And, most importantly, you’re still here. This was your first encounter with a man who had a nation at its knees and you didn’t die. Use what happened yesterday. Learn from it. Study it in your mind and find their weakness. Your mother and aunt have already lived through a war with Riddle so they know how to react but others that have the same experience might not be so deadly when faced with such odds. You survived, Tonks. Civilians survived because of your warning and instructions. Take the good and learn from the bad.”

“What if I’m not strong enough?”

“Then be faster. Be more accurate. Strength isn’t everything. We can’t all be Albus Dumbledore or Tom Riddle. I am the weaker wizard between Sebastian and I, but I beat him in duels because of speed, accuracy and spell choice. Theo will probably be stronger than both of us but I will still try to be better in a fight. At Durmstrang, a number of my classmates were stronger than I was but they couldn’t beat me because I worked harder than they did and they became complacent.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, “This is your chance to bridge the gap. Just because someone has more raw power does not mean that a well-placed stunner won’t still take them down.” 

Tonks looked into his eyes and saw his sincerity. “Thank you, Ralston. You’re right; I have heard that a few times but I definitely needed the reminder. I will work harder but I won’t let it consume me.” She smiled and started to make her way out of the room, “When I’m here, would you like to spar with me? I think it would be good training.”

“As long as you go to dinner with me when this is all over.”

“Deal,” she said with a smile before disappearing down the hall. They couldn’t let the darkness keep them from living after all.

Unknown to both, Sirius stood in the shadows, watching and listening. He was glad that Ralston had been able to help Dora past what had kept her from attempting to sleep. “You can go to bed, Dmitri; everything appears to be under control now.”

“If you’re sure. I do feel responsible for this; if I had managed to kill myself faster or…”

“Dmitri, you did all you could. No one blames you for anything. Now get to bed, apparently I can’t sleep until all the young adults are in bed.”

The Bulgarian nodded, slinking back to his room a few doors down from the library.

It had been an interesting day. He had cried his eyes out at the Potter graves, wandered around and then met someone new; someone intriguing. Liz. If only Riddle had waited for another day to strike. He was honestly worried that she would refuse to see him again because of how dangerous his life was. Having heard his entire call with Bill, he expected it despite what she said. He didn’t want to be in his life either.

_“Sirius,” Bill started, “there was an attack at the Alley.”_

_“Cissy?” his voice held more fear than he cared to admit to._

_“She’s alright but there were casualties.”_

_“Aria?”_

_“Fine, but in considerable pain.”_

_“Dora and Andy?”_

_Sirius saw Bill flinch slightly, “Both are alive.”_

_“That isn’t very reassuring, Bill.”_

_“Severus and Remus are on their way. Dora is fine; as far as I can tell she only has a few scrapes and is coming down from an adrenaline rush. Andromeda was taken to St. Mungo’s. Last I heard she was expected to make it.”_

_“Who?”_

_“Riddle, Nott and Yaxley.” He looked off somewhere Sirius couldn’t see, “Yaxley probably won’t be a problem anymore but Riddle and Nott got away.”_

_Sirius nodded, thinking quickly. He met Liz’s eyes, “I’ll be there as soon as I can. I will go to Ted and ensure he heads to the hospital and then Floo into the receiving room at Gringotts.”_

_“I will inform the guards so they are expecting you.”_

_“Thank you, Bill.”_

_The younger man nodded before cutting the transmission._

_“If that didn’t sound so horrible, that mirror would be really cool.” Liz tried to sound calm but being shown the possible danger was hard on day one. “You should go.”_

_Sirius grabbed her hand, “I hope this doesn’t scare you too much, but I understand if you change your mind about talking to me. At the very least, I want you to promise you will keep the mirror I am going to send to you. It will only work for you and me; and if the danger that surrounds me is too much for you, I will only use it to tell you to run.”_

_Liz nodded, “Yes, this is a lot, but I don’t think I am ready for this to end just yet. So, go. Do what you need to do and make sure you send me a mirror and let me know you’re alright.”_

_He smiled, despite his fear, “Thank you. Take care of your mom, Chris,” he placed a hand on the boy’s head. “Get home, stay safe and trust me.” Sirius leaned down and kissed her cheek._

Sirius closed his eyes, he needed to get to work on another mirror. He would send it with Dobby, making sure the elf left it on a table when no one was around. He would have to let her be the one to use it first. Merlin, he really needed this to work.

For now, he would hope.

**Hogwarts**

Severus Snape slid quietly out of bed when he heard Roderick start to fuss. He didn’t want to wake Narcissa after she had finally cried herself to sleep. His best friend, his love, was letting the guilt get to her. She was not stupid. Eventually she would come to terms with what had happened and plan accordingly but she was human, no matter what a Black might try to say on the contrary. He would give her tonight and if she was still moping in the morning, he would help find her peace. She would do the same for him if the situation was reversed.

He scooped the distraught little boy into his arms and he instantly quieted. It had been a difficult and emotional day for all of them. When they had finally been released from the scene, they had gone to St. Mungo’s. Andromeda was out of danger; she had lost a decent amount of blood but because of the heat added to the cutting curse the wound had been almost entirely cauterized. The only thing they could not do, was save her arm. While the cauterization had saved her life, it had destroyed any chance of reattaching the arm; magic could do more than muggle medicine in this area but too much time had passed and the heat of the curse had sealed too much internally. 

They had spent a few hours at the hospital; Narcissa alternating between holding Ted’s hand and holding onto Dora. The young Auror had not handled the aftermath well, and it was understandable considering all that had happened and who it had happened to. 

At one point, Amelia had also come to the hospital to check on the status of all the victims at the hospital. Three of the citizens not with Narcissa had perished from their wounds. The next blow for his love was that Dalia Zabini had not survived her wounds either. The Italian woman suffered too much damage to her internal organs when she was impaled with the signpost. 

Amelia had taken him aside with a request for him to accompany her to the school to speak with his students. While at school, he acted in loco parentis for his snakes as their head of house. Madam Bones had not been able to find Edwin Parkinson and it would be a few hours before Antonio Zabini, Blaise’s grandfather, could make it to the school. There were too many people with knowledge of what happened, meaning that news would reach the school before too long and they could not chance Miss Parkinson or Mister Zabini learning this in public. 

When he had arrived at the school with Madam Bones, they were met by Elanor’s sister. The woman looked defeated but determined to hold herself together for her niece. Seeing Miss Parkinson fall apart in her aunt’s arms had been hard to watch. The normally arrogantly proud girl looked utterly lost. Pansy Parkinson would be taking a week off of school, staying with her aunt, so that she didn’t have to deal with her peers while dealing with her grief.

Blaise Zabini, on the other hand, was alone when informed. The young Slytherin’s face had hardened to stone before he said something in Italian with untold rage vibrating in each syllable. When he was informed his grandfather would be at the school in the morning he had nodded and said he would be spending the remainder of the day in his dorm.

Severus had then met up with Bill and Remus. They had brought Aria to Hogwarts when he and Narcissa had headed to St. Mungo’s and then called the kids together in the Come and Go Room. Harry had that look in his eyes; he could feel something was off. The rest of them looked oblivious and confused.

Remus made a point to tell them that something had happened but that they were alright. Draco had known his mother’s plans for the day had jumped on them, immediately asking where she was and if she was alright. The girls had cried learning of Andromeda’s injury, while Draco deflated. Harry had not said a word.

It was the death of Pansy and Blaise’s mothers that affected them most. The group may not like the female Slytherin but they still felt horrible that she lost her mother and Draco in particular knew how close the girl was to her mother. Harry planned to watch the quiet Italian in the coming days while Draco was going to spend the afternoon and evening making sure that Blaise ate and had company if he wanted it.

“Can Dobby help, Mister Potions Master sir with Roddy?”

Severus looked down at the odd little elf. Dobby seemed to get calmer the more time he spent with the family and he had seemed happier since the addition of little Roderick, which made sense as he was trained to care for children. “He seems to be fine now,” he looked back at the child who was fast asleep in his arms. “I’m not sure what he wanted but he is asleep now.”

The little elf nodded, his ears flapping. “Dobby was being surprised,” he fussed. “I is not needing to feed him yet and he is not smelling messy.”

“Thank you, Dobby.” He carefully laid the child down in the bassinet before straightening and heading toward the bedroom. “If you need assistance, let me know but try not to wake Narcissa.”

“Dobby is having everything under controls. Potions Master only be needing to make sure miss Cissy is being fine.” When he was alone, Dobby hopped up onto a chair so he could see the baby better, “Dobby is making sure Roddy has his families no matters what. They is Master Harry Potter Sir’s family, so they is Dobby’s family.”

…

Remus cringed internally as Aria moaned in his arms. Her potions were wearing off. The problem with the Cruciatus curse was that, if you survived with your mind intact, your body continued to feel pain for a decent amount of time after. He knew, Severus and Poppy had confirmed it, that Aria was lucky to be alive and coherent. Suffering through that many Crucios for that long, was bad enough but when one of the casters was that strong the chance for serious damage was much more likely. There were many in the last war who were never the same after falling under Riddle’s power for too long and Aria had spent more time than many of them writhing in pain. 

Upon arrival at the castle, Remus had insisted that Poppy Pomphrey take a look at Aria. The healer had been surprised that the redhead could talk, let alone stand. The scans showed that her nerve endings were almost as damaged as Alice Longbottom’s had been only an hour after the woman was attacked all those years ago and it had been about twice that long before Poppy saw to Aria. Remus was thanking every deity worshiped around the globe that Aria was a werewolf because if she wasn’t, he would have essentially lost her. 

Severus had told them that Aria would need to take two swallows of anti-Cruciatus potion every hour for eighteen hours, at which time he would re-evaluate. She had several doses to go before that time. 

“Distract me,” Aria mumbled as she bit her lip.

“What are your plans for tomorrow?”

“Sitting around writhing in pain, different topic please.”

“I am giving a lecture about…”

“Defense lectures are not going to keep my attention right now.”

“Fred and George told me a bit about their store. They want to call it Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes.”

“Cute.”

“And not your cup of tea.”

“I know, how can you possibly be with me? My humor is so sarcastic. The only one of you who can consistently make me laugh is Severus,” she cringed. “Better, but still not great.”

“Marry me.”

Aria snorted, “I’m already planning our wedding so that is a silly request.”

“Marry me tomorrow.”

“Again, already planning the wedding.” She rolled so that she was lying facing him. “We are trying to build relations with the other packs, Remus, and they have already received invitations to the beautiful wedding that Narcissa has helped me plan. I love you, but I have been tortured enough looking at flower arrangements, table decorations, seating charts and color schemes. I was forced to spend a whole weekend shopping for dresses, on the days before and after the full moon no less, for both myself, which is amazing by the way, and for Narcissa and the girls.” Aria cupped Remus’s cheek with one of her small hands, “We can’t let this conflict alter our lives. They finally made a move and now we know they are coming and coming hard for Narcissa and probably the rest of the Blacks.” She hissed as another shock ran through her body, “We will all be more cautious. Narcissa had already decided that she was going to stick to warded places the closer she got to her due date. I rarely go anywhere outside of the Wolf Den and Grimmauld. The rest of you are primarily at Hogwarts. I honestly think Bill and Dora are in the most danger at any given time and both can take care of themselves; they proved that today.”

“I know all of that intellectually but I don’t want to miss my chance at marrying you.”

“I don’t plan on losing that chance either. I have a new respect for this fight, Remus. I’m not the sort of person who would usually be in this and yet, here I am. I lived in America and then planned to die; well those plans are long forgotten. We are not going out this time Remus; we have sacrificed enough.” She nuzzled into his neck, finding a comfortable position, “So, let’s make sure we protect each other, protect the kids and live a long and happy life.”

Remus picked up his wand and silently summoned her potions to him, “If you insist. Time for more potions and then try to get some sleep.”

She took the proper dosage, not even commenting on the horrid taste. “Sure, the insomniac will try to fall asleep in the next minute or so just to be woken up in an hour. I am sure it will work this time; after all, my alpha should be able to command me to sleep tonight of all nights when he has failed every other night before that.”

“There she is,” he smiled into her hair, loving the sarcasm in her voice.

“Bite me, Moony.”

“Any time you wish, my love.”

**Yet Another Dilapidated Mansion**

A megalomaniac in the body of a shriveled, deformed baby sat reading the paper, both angry and pleased at what he read.

The pleasure came from the subject matter. **Tom Riddle Attacks Diagon Alley** was a magnificent title, even if the name was incorrect. He celebrated the deaths, giggled at the injuries and absorbed the fear like a sponge sucked up water. Narcissa Black, like the other free Blacks, deserved all the pain that he could possibly dole out for siding with Potter, so the fact that she was a target and her sister ended up with one less wand arm was a treat. It made him miss sweet Bella; she had a love for removing limbs that rivaled his own bloodlust. 

He was displeased that there was someone else claiming to be him. Tom Riddle was his name of birth, though he would never admit to it outside his own head, so who was wreaking havoc using his name to incite fear? Tom Marvolo Riddle was Lord Voldemort and there was only one; him. This imposter would need to be dealt with swiftly after he regained his body.

“Barty,” he called softly to his minion. “I need you to find all the information you can about this imposter Tom Riddle that Nott and Yaxley are running with. He has stolen and destroyed my Yaxley and he appears to be trying to take over my country.”

The over eager sociopath nodded enthusiastically, “Of course, my Master. I will find them and kill them for you.”

“No,” he said calmly, the plan forming in his mind. “We will let them play for now. If they can take out some of our enemies it will make my rise that much swifter. They will be the first we strike after dealing with Potter. What better way to prove my superiority than to defeat the very villain that is causing terror after killing their savior.” He laughed maniacally, “Yes, play for now, imposter. When I am whole, I will come for you and you will see who the real Lord Voldemort is.”


	39. Batten Down the Hatches

**A Manor House**

The man knelt on the freshly cleaned wood floor of his home. His head was bowed, his eyes focused on the wood grain in front of his knees. While magic had been a part of his life since birth, he had not cast a spell on the floor to relieve his aging, aching knees. It was not unheard of for those of his kind to spend a considerable amount of time on their knees, bowed before one who was greater than all. The longer one could spend in supplication without the aid of magic showed your dedication to the cause. Those who cushioned the floor were looked upon as weak. 

It was dangerous to appear weak to anyone. Appearing weak before the man holding court was both expected and suicidal.

The resurrected Lord Voldemort stared down at his host. He had not been sure what the man’s reaction would be upon learning the names of those who had perished in his recent venture. It seems he had killed the man’s wife. Edwin Parkinson had been loyal to a fault when he had first reigned supreme, that much he did remember and his journal did not indicate a change in that particular attitude. When he had arrived at the Parkinson holiday manor Edwin had ranted at the audacity of the Black family for abandoning their honor. He had seethed, knowing they no longer sought to bring the mudbloods to heel and to rule the vermin that lived without magic. What surprised him most was Edwin thanking him for dispatching his traitorous wife. 

Elanor Parkinson was from a weak family. They believed that magic was sacred even if it came from mud. It was not surprising that she had at one point believed this. What was surprising was that Edwin had not been able to beat that notion out of her. The dark lord had not struck with deliberate intention; he did not know it was Edwin’s wife when he killed her. The intention of the attack on Diagon Alley was to cause Narcissa Malfoy pain before ending her insignificant life. Though it was an accident, he would take the praise for it because it pulled one of his chosen closer into his net.

Perhaps he should kill the daughter too? If he had learned anything from Tiberius Nott, it was that mothers who opposed their husbands damaged their children. Tiberius’s second wife had ruined all of his children. Narcissa had ruined Malfoy’s spawn and it was all but a forgone conclusion that the Parkinson girl would turn from him now.

His eyes moved from the prostrate man before him when the door opened. The appearance of Tiberius irritated him but he was almost pleased to see Aldridge Crabbe following a step behind him. Though he had gone to school with Tiberius and he was one of his first supporters, the man was almost more trouble than he was worth. Tiberius needed to remember his place. 

Tiberius had always thought himself above the others because of that early connection and long lineage. He thought himself too valuable to take on certain tasks. Too good to be assigned certain jobs. This was not the case. While his age may prevent him from being successful in some tasks, it did not mean he was incapable of fighting. Voldemort was an intelligent man; he had scored more NEWTs than any in his year after all, and more than just about everyone before him. He knew how to read his minions, how to judge their worth. Tiberius was connected and rich, or at least he had been before pissing off the goblins and the DMLE. Now Nott had nothing save some unplottable properties and some rare spell books. Since he had no money, and his connections would not speak with him, he would need to fill a different void, or die refusing orders. 

It had been harder than he thought possible to convince Nott to accompany him to Diagon Alley. Nott did not want to be caught. He feared their opposition more than he feared his lord and soon he would learn the error in his thinking. 

“Tiberius,” he breathed just barely above a whisper but all heard him. To not hear him when he spoke was to invite punishment. “Join Edwin.” His eyes focused on Aldridge Crabbe. “Come Aldridge.” He extended his hand toward the once younger man. 

It did not take Aldridge long to pass the two kneeling before him. The fact that Crabbe instantly bowed his head when he stood close enough and kissed his ring gave him additional points. “You have done well. Everything I have asked of you has been done with no question. For that, your lord will reward you greatly when we are once again in power.”

Aldridge did not rise from his bow until he had stopped speaking. “I live only to serve, my Lord. What is it that you need from me? What more can I do to bring the blood traitors and mudbloods to heel?”

“Do you hear that, Tiberius? So eager to please. I cannot remember a time when you respected me as much.” He glared at the man, who was no longer looking at the floor. It would be a costly mistake. “I need information, Aldridge. Information that none of my other followers seem to be able to give me at present.”

“If I am able, I will get you any information you need.”

Voldemort tilted his head, sizing his minion up. “I need information on Hogwarts. All of Nott’s children have abandoned me and I cannot trust Parkinson’s daughter due to how close she was with her mother. Is your son loyal? Will he spy for us?”

A most glorious and wicked smile crossed Aldridge Crabbe’s face. “My son would do anything to take down our enemies. He has been feeding me information on his classmates since he entered the school. I can tell you which of the Slytherin students are loyal, which could be turned and which are beyond saving. My son has crafted his persona to perfection. He is not the mindless oaf many think him to be. He observes, he listens.”

This was a surprise. The Dark Lord knew there was more to Aldridge than his simple features suggested but he thought perhaps his son took after Aldridge’s airheaded wife and not Aldridge himself. “Bring me all the information you have. I will review and see if there is anything lacking in his spying efforts. It will also show me what sort of spy he is and what exactly he is capable of.” He allowed a small, almost feral smile curve his lips. “It seems I was correct to call upon you. Though you were not in my inner circle, you have done more to aid me than nearly all of them and unlike Nott, your family has done nothing to disappoint me. Let’s hope this trend continues or I will have you on your knees like Nott.”

He turned his attention back to the other two. “Edwin, I thank you for the use of your summer home. I hope there is no way anyone can surprise us?”

Edwin lifted his head, “I changed the wards to their most severe. The only ones who can enter are the ones listed on the log, as requested, and at present there are only four names, the four here right now. Additionally, I only allow two house elves to leave this property and they are my personal ones. The rest do not leave the property and are actually forbidden to do so. If they did leave, they would be subject to grave magical consequences activated when the moment their magic touched the wards.”

The Dark Lord nodded. His notes had not lied about Parkinson. He was actually more inventive with controlling those beneath him than Lucius Malfoy was. It was a pity his original self was so stuck on the Malfoy name and family. While Abraxas had a genius mind for strategy, that did not mean his son would be of any use. He should have dissolved his trust in the man the moment it was clear he was nothing like his father. The death of Abraxas was a tragedy but it was long past time to forget about the Malfoy family; their only use was as examples for what happens when you are no longer valuable subjects. 

“Stand Parkinson. I expect you will continue to impress me or you will find yourself enjoying Nott’s company.” He rolled his shoulders, “Aldridge, Edwin, you may leave but do not go far. Aldridge, retrieve your son’s missives and then return immediately. Edwin, I am starting to feel famished, see to dinner.” 

The two left the room leaving behind their Lord and Tiberius. 

“Now,” Voldemort sauntered to the still kneeling man, “I think it is time we discussed your failings, my old friend. If you continue on this path, I may not be able to continue looking the other way.”

Throughout the manor, a man’s pained screams echoed down the empty halls.

**Hogwarts, Teachers’ Lounge**

“If I could, I would rip Riddle’s throat out with my teeth,” Aria ground out as she slid into a chair in the teachers’ lounge. It had been just over twenty-four hours since the attack and she was still in incredible pain. Severus had decreased her potions dosage to counter Cruciatus exposure, she now had to have three swallows every four hours for the next day and her aftershocks happened less often, but she was still miserable. 

“I would be glad to bring you his head,” Remus whispered into her hair, nuzzling her, “but I doubt he would let me get that close when the moon was calling.” 

“A girl can dream,” she leaned her head on his shoulder. 

Classes had been canceled for the day due to the attack on Diagon Alley. Headmaster Dumbledore had made an announcement at breakfast that morning. He calmly, and remorsefully told the students of Hogwarts and their guests about the attack. Though he admitted to casualties, he did not give names; by that time, most of the students knew who had lost someone already so there was no need to bring up their pain in public. Albus had also announced his relief that she and Narcissa had survived the attack relatively unscathed; the students had taken a moment of silence for the fallen and many had made a point to visit the staff table to personally ask after the blonde and redhead.

“I would take your pain if I could,” Remus looked at her with his sad eyes. 

“I know,” she let out a huffing breath, “I’m irritated at myself. I sound like a whiny baby complaining about the pain. Pain isn’t new; this shouldn’t be that distracting.”

“The Cruciatus curse ignites every nerve ending in your body, and each one tells your brain that it is experiencing excruciating pain.” Severus led Narcissa into the room, “From how you have both explained the transformation, the pain you feel as you change is localized to what is altering. Yes, your entire body changes in a relatively short time but some things only shift, which causes very little pain. Other changes cause more pain, particularly the limbs, but the pain is instant and is then dulled by the wolf mind. Additionally, while you may feel the pain in the morning, it is dulled to something akin to extreme muscle fatigue compared to the initial pain of the change.”

Both werewolves nodded when he paused to pull out a chair for Narcissa, before sitting next to the pregnant blonde. That was as accurate as you could get without feeling the pain yourself. 

“With the Crucio, on the other hand, each aftershock hurts less but each is still an ignition of every nerve ending in your body so it takes considerable time to actually feel the difference between the curse and the after effects. You do not get a reprieve as the wolf takes over either. The pain is continuous.” He took Aria’s hand, “It is no wonder you are still considerably affected even after a day. Potions masters continue to look for something better to fight the effects but are stumped. The only thing that helps with the pain is the potion you are taking and it is designed to fix damage done to the nerves, not to dull the pain. Pain potions, even the one designed for after the full moon didn’t do anything, even though I hoped they would. For some reason, the curse just does not allow pain control potions to work.”

“I still feel like an annoying whiner.”

Narcissa placed her hand over Severus’s, “Don’t. We all know you can take pain and we all know how long you suffered. Riddle has always held great power and an unnatural amount of rage. You saved me and our daughter by pulling me out of the way. I can’t thank you enough, Aria.”

“Before anyone else gets here, we did wish to ask you something,” Severus spoke before the others could. “We would like to ask you to be the godmother for our daughter.”

“You have already saved her once, Aria, and we know that if anything were to happen to us, you would take on armies to protect her.” She looked at Severus and he nodded, “Remus, we would like to officially ask you to be Roderick’s godfather.”

“Like Aria, you are protective of your family and fierce in their defense.”

“We wanted to do it this way to keep you both in their lives and to also honor Bill and my niece. Andromeda has already insisted that I chose Dora to be Roderick’s godmother so she can be a doting aunt; Dora agreed this morning when she stopped by to check on me.”

“We thought Bill would also be an ideal choice to be our daughter’s godfather. His strength and connection to the goblins are a comfort to us.”

“I am honored, Cissy,” Aria wiped a tear from her eye. “I will be the best godmother and aunty to those kids and if dark lords think they are going to come for them, they better fear the wrath of Accalia.”

Remus stared quietly at Severus. “I have regretted our beginning for a very long time and never thought there would come a time when you would trust me completely. There are no words to describe the honor and relief I feel that you would trust me, not only to watch your back, but most importantly, your belief that I could properly protect your children.”

“Both of us were at fault back in school.”

“Barely.”

Severus nodded, most of the fault lay with the Marauders, “While that is true, I am also aware of how your contributions differed in those times. If there was anyone in your group who was in it for the fun and laughter it was you. Your pranks were in fun and never singled out a person or group. You were the voice of reason, of tolerance.” He met the werewolf’s eyes, “Like me, you feared being ostracized by your friends so you did things you regretted. You and I are very much alike.”

Remus nodded, “I have to agree, but perhaps we should table this heart to heart. Albus is already crying and I don’t think I will be able to see him in the same way if he starts blubbering.”

The four turned their attention to the door fully to find the Headmaster and the remaining Heads of house waiting just inside the room. Each had tears in their eyes, Filius and Pomona were dabbing at their eyes with handkerchiefs and had only just managed not to make a sound. Minerva’s eyes were glistening but she had yet to allow a tear to spill over, she had a reputation to uphold after all. 

Albus let his tears run freely; he was so immensely proud of his boys. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, “Well done, boys. I think perhaps we should get this meeting started before the rest of the staff arrives. I wanted each of the Heads and Remus present to start as we discuss security of the students. Alastor has given me his recommendations while he patrols the grounds looking for weak points.” He looked at each of them briefly, “Who would like to start?”

“I am going to say that Narcissa will be spending most of the remainder of the school year here. I won’t be able to focus if she is outside the wards here or Grimmauld.”

“Of course, my boy. I expected to see more of Miss Black and Miss Thorne. I understand your reluctance to allow them to be far from you and it is completely reasonable for spouses to live at the castle while school is in session. Both these women are essentially your spouses, as you are two happily engaged couples. We have all received the invitations to Remus and Aria’s wedding and are simply waiting for your lovely fiancé to work out the details of your own wedding.” The old man raised an eyebrow, daring the man to challenge anything he had just said. “Did you have anything else or was that all you wished to add about safety?”

Remus, knowing Severus needed assistance, spoke up, “Actually, Severus and I have been passing around an idea that I think we should implement now and potentially keep after the danger is gone.” He took a quick breath, “We thought that it might be a good idea to have two professors in charge of each house, we are already partially doing this with the Gryffindors. The reason we have this in place for the lions is to free up Minerva to assist you more but also helps for the nights of the full moon.”

“I would have to agree that this is helping my lions.” Minerva nodded, “with both of us available, they have two people they can approach when needed. There are some students who find me overly intimidating but are completely comfortable bringing their concerns to Remus. If we ensured that there was a male and female head then that might add comfort to some students in all houses.”

“That was one of the reasons I felt it would be beneficial,” Severus agreed. “I am not the most liked professor and some of the younger years find me terrifying. I am trying to be less of a dungeon bat, as many call me, but my class is dangerous so I don’t feel comfortable losing all of my edge. I have also noticed that a few of the older students will tell the more timid snakes to talk to Aurora if they are uncomfortable coming to me. I have been thankful for this and see that she enjoys helping where she can.”

“I would be honored to have someone help with my students,” Pomona smiled, “I don’t think I have problems with students not approaching me but additional eyes would help.”

“With the staff we currently have, I would recommend Bathsheda to be my second for Ravenclaw.”

Albus smiled, “This is a sound idea and we will implement today. I would like Gryffindor to continue as they are. We shall ask Aurora Sinistra, Bathsheda Babbling and perhaps Charity Burbage? We appear to have more female members of staff and while I trust Hagrid with my life, I do not think him suited for this sort of thing plus he is busy with the grounds.”

“Charity would be wonderful with the children,” Pomona agreed. “She is a very good listener.”

“Perfect,” Albus made a note, “other ideas?”

“Do we continue Hogsmeade visits?”

Albus looked surprised at Pomona’s question for a moment but then looked thoughtful. “I think, for the safety of our students, we should consider stopping them now before something happens. There are enough activities every weekend with the tournament in full swing that many would stay on grounds anyway.” He ran a hand down his beard, “Most who did go into town went for short visits, food and beverage have always been most popular. I could open up discussions with business owners; we could invite them to open stalls around the grounds to continue selling to the students.”

“I agree that it would be best to err on the side of caution,” Severus steeped his hands, “If we did allow businesses onto the grounds, I think we would need to require they and their products are scanned prior to entry to ensure they are who they claim to be.”

“We would also need to verify that no one was using Polyjuice,” Remus added. “That is easy enough to determine with the right equipment,” he thought of the map. He really did need to finish the copies he was making for himself and Severus.

“Our guest students would need permission from their Headmasters to leave and technically we can’t keep the students who are of age on the grounds during the weekend.” Minerva tilted her head, “If we screen everyone who enters the grounds it would be best. All individuals would need to have tickets for the events, be a student or an authorized business representative.”

Albus nodded, “Alastor will be pleased with these additions. He has been demanding much more security and while this doesn’t quite cover what he has demanded, it will appease him to a point. I agree that we need to put the students first, so if outside individuals have to spend a bit more time at the edge of the wards, so be it. I am meeting with Amelia later today to discuss added security for the tournament. Tomorrow is the second to last quidditch match, Basilisks versus Unicorns, and last I heard, the stadium was nearly sold out.”

“I will have something for whomever is covering the checkpoint at the border of the wards that will show the name of the individual the wards are feeling,” Remus added quickly.

Albus’s eyes twinkled at him, “I would love to see your notes on that particular project. A map of Hogwarts showing the current locations within her borders; I really would love to study it in depth. I am extremely impressed that you managed such an undertaking during school.”

Remus shifted in his seat, unsure of what to make of the glances he was getting from his colleagues. It still surprised him that very little escaped Albus; none of them had any idea that he had known of their little venture and it was equally surprising that he allowed them to keep it once finished. Minerva was giving him the most accusing glare of his adult life, he honestly felt like he was twelve and she was reprimanding him for the applesauce incident all over again. Filius had a look of both confusion and anticipation; no doubt the little charms expert would demand to see his notes and discuss every detail of the map’s construction. And then there was Severus’s smirk. He just had to look so smug seeing Remus get singled out for something whose usage probably should have seen him in detention every night of his schooling all those years ago.

He cleared his throat in discomfort, “I would be happy to show you what I have from back then and discuss the changes I am making to improve our little project. Hopefully, with some help from Harry’s explorations, the entire school can be mapped and no one, save the ghosts, can escape our observation.”

“Very good, my boy. I can hardly wait.” 

Albus resumed the meeting after that. Additional changes were discussed. Student progress was evaluated. Harry and Cedric were discussed at length; their Heads of House reporting on any concerns they had with their overall state of mind and course work. It was decided that the two of them could be excused from end of year exams if they so choose but both had assured their professors they would still be sitting exams; Cedric because he was just that dedicated and Harry because Hermione would kill him if he didn’t.

Remus was nearly out of the staff room when Minerva finally addressed the earlier comments about his activity in school. “Mister Lupin,” she said in the same manner she did when catching the Weasley twins red handed. “Am I to assume that you and your friends managed to create a map of the school that informed you of the positions of all people within the school?”

Gulping, he nodded. “We did, yes. It was completed before Christmas holidays sixth year.”

She nodded, her face set in stone. “While I applaud your inventiveness and the complexity of the work required for such a task, I have half a mind to assign you and Sirius detention for the remainder of your lives for using such a genius piece of magic for pranks. Equally, I would like to assign all of you lines and make you clean the dungeons with your toothbrushes for losing this masterpiece which, I am guessing, found its way to the Weasley twins.” She strode up to where he was frozen in the doorway, “I blame the marauders for every gray hair on my head.”

Had it been Sirius standing there, he would have said something to question whether she had grey hair, which in and of itself was not bad. What would have been bad was him calling her Minnie or Professor Kitty. If there was one good thing about growing up, it was that you didn’t have to work with your friends, so you weren’t punished for their complete lack of tact.

**Muggle London**

Sirius Black was a nervous wreck. Had teenaged Padfoot seen his adult self like this, he would have mocked himself mercilessly. The Black heir had been a lady’s man; a smooth talker. For a young man who had dated four girls at once, two Puffs, a Claw and a Lion with no repercussions, he was not holding up well with waiting.

To his great surprise, Liz had called. While he had sent Dobby to her home with the mirror, instructing the elf to leave it where she would easily find it, he had not expected her to use it. During the horrors of the aftermath and the nightmares that kept many of their group from sleep, Sirius had managed to convince himself that he would never see her or her son again. He was sure that he did not deserve her; his mistakes with the Potters meant that he could never have her. Allowing her to be touched, even just through knowledge, to the darkness in his life meant he was the worst man in the history of men. 

His letter to her had been beyond emotional, stopping just short of begging and admitted to how deep his affection already was. Honestly, he was rather embarrassed by what he had written.

_Liz_

_I wish I hadn’t had to run off on you and Chris. You and your son were the bright spot in my day; actually, I was the bright spot in my month. I completely enjoyed myself, though I feel I may have shared a bit too much. Sometimes I just don’t seem to know when to shut up; my cousin tells me that all the time._

_In the spirit of sharing too much, I will give you an update on what happened before and after we parted yesterday. A man who wishes to rule over all, Tom Riddle, attacked our biggest shopping district yesterday, targeting my family. He and his companions did not care who they hurt in their quest to take down my cousin Narcissa, they left behind a number of casualties, including several of those they claimed to champion. Narcissa survived unscathed. Her niece Dora had only minor cuts and scrapes. My friend’s fiancé is in a great deal of pain but will be fine in time with no lasting damage. The worst bit is that my other cousin, Andromeda, lost her arm in the confrontation. She will live but will have to relearn everything. I will say that my cousins did manage to take down one of the individuals so there is a bright side to all of this._

_Enough of that. As promised, I made you a mirror of your own. It does not require magic to work, only what is already there. All you will need to do is say my name and your mirror will call mine. As I don’t know who is around you at any given time, I will leave first contact up to you. I will answer any time you call._

_I know that my life must seem overly complicated and even dangerous, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you decided you needed to stay away for the safety of you and your son. Despite knowing this, I would still like to get to know you and your son and at the very least I would like for you to have the ability to call someone if you find yourself confused by the magical world._

_I hope to hear from you soon._

_Yours,_

_Sirius Black_

When the mirror, tied only to hers, had buzzed in his pocket he had nearly wept with joy. Dmitri, who had been sitting at the kitchen table with him eating a late lunch due to their disturbed sleep the night before, had given him a confused look, thinking that something was wrong. The younger man had been all smiles while he shamelessly listened into the conversation before Sirius left the room. 

Liz had apologized for not calling him that morning! She hadn’t wanted to use the mirror while her ailing mother was hovering and then she had been with a room full of loud, nosey five-year-old children. Her students, being so young, left earlier than the rest of the school, meaning that she was alone in her classroom until she had to collect Chris from his own class. 

They had talked for nearly an hour. Sirius filled her in on the status of his family; she had been glad to know they had survived but extremely sorry that Andromeda had lost her arm. After that depressing topic, they had moved onto her life story, or at least part of it. Learning her mother had been very into the Swinging Sixties movement, despite being a bit older than the majority of her friends. The woman took it a bit farther than most too, hitting the drug scene off and on for the fun of it. This had been the reason Liz’s parents divorced and she had gone to live with her father when he got a job in America. 

It was in America where she met her husband. They went to the same college, though he was only attending to appease his parents before joining the police force, while she was fulfilling her dream by going on to become a teacher. Brandon Walker had died while off duty during a robbery at a convenience store before Chris’s fourth birthday.

Moving home had been the best move both for her and for her mother. Gwen Roland, Liz’s mother, was paying the price for her free lifestyle. She was sick. Muggle Healers didn’t give her all that much time until she wasn’t able to function without the aid of a nurse.

Sirius had asked about Chris’s assignment and the teacher. Liz had happily told him that she had spoken to the other teacher that morning before classes started and the teacher was forced to adjust the assignment for anyone who didn’t feel that they had a male parental figure in their life; those students would be able to speak to their mother figures instead.

After a bit of nonsense, Liz had, unfortunately, had to go but had invited him to join them for pizza that night. As per tradition, Liz and Chris went out to Pizza every other Friday. Normally this would not be pizza Friday, but due to his argument with his teacher, he was getting a pizza pick-me-up. The single mother thought Sirius also needed a night out, and hoped he would enjoy a night with her and her son. The Grimm Animagus had asked for the time and place almost before she had finished asking him to join them.

Now he waited. He had gotten to the pizza place half an hour early; he had slightly miscalculated the distance. Sirius had irritated his house guests due to his anticipation for this little date and had decided to walk a portion of the distance to get rid of some excess energy. Unfortunately, he chose a public Floo only ten minutes from the pizza place so he was exceptionally early and chose to get a table as opposed to walking around outside like a crazy person. Sitting in the booth by himself made him anxious so he ordered some soda, and had since drank several glasses. Perhaps not his best plan, the excess caffeine in his system made him feel slightly sick.

He knew the second she arrived. The feeling of the room changed, at least for him. All it took was looking into her eyes and he settled. While by society's standards she was not the epitome of beauty, to him she was stunning. The fact that her kid, who looked just like her, lit up like a Christmas tree when their eyes met made him feel like a hero for the first time in his life. 

The Walkers were good for him, even if this never went beyond friendship.

Sirius stood, a hesitant smile on his face, and sighed in relief for what felt like the hundredth time that day when she smiled back at him. 

“Sirius,” Chris said excitedly before rushing, not running as his mom told him not to, across the room. He stopped right in front of the wizard and grinned up at him. “Hi.”

He laughed softly, “Hi, Chris, how was school?”

“Good. My teacher apologized for assuming things. I told mom today that maybe I could have talked to you about the assignment,” the boy spoke quickly and missed the shocked look on Sirius’s face, “but mom said that might make you uncomfortable and it was too soon to do that. I thought that was silly but she’s my mom so I kind of have to listen to her.” He plopped down into the booth and grabbed the menu. “I’m hungry.”

Liz smiled up at Sirius, “He really likes you, and he really did want to talk to you about that assignment. If we had met you more than a day ago, I might not have felt so conflicted about that. Maybe someday.” She studied his face carefully, “How are you, really?”

He leaned down and kissed her cheek, “I’m better now that you’re here. To be honest, I felt like James when he had his first date with Lily. Like him, I kept thinking I was going to get stood up because I am such a moron.” He looked at Chris who was studying the menu very seriously, and it appeared he was looking at the dessert portion, not the pizza, “I wish I could feel as sure of this as he does. I’ve become a pessimist and tend to expect the worst.”

“Being a parent did that to me. I’m one of those crazy parents who hears a siren and panics thinking there is something wrong with my kid even when he is in the next room. You’re definitely not alone in the pessimism department.” They both looked over at Chris to see he was staring at them with a demanding look. “We should probably sit before he starts to riot.”

“Probably a good idea,” he grinned as he slid back into the booth across from his companions. “Alright, let’s get some pizza and then maybe, if your mom says so, we can play some games.” 

Both boy and man looked at Liz, hopeful, puppy dog eyes pleading. She rolled her eyes, smiled and shook her head slightly, “Fine, but only if you eat your dinner first. That goes for both of you.” The last she aimed at Sirius, causing them both to laugh while Chris cheered in glee. 

‘This.’ Sirius thought, soaking up the light hearted, innocent feeling around him, ‘Right here, this is what I have been missing.’ 

**Come and Go Room**

Harry Potter sat staring at a fire made by the castle in a room that could be anything they wanted or needed. Beside him sat his girlfriend, his best friend, Hermione Granger. She sat with her head on his shoulder, her arms around his chest, holding on tightly. 

Around them were those they were closest to. 

Neville Longbottom was to Harry’s right, slouched in an armchair, staring unseeing into the flames. Fay Dunbar, sister, friend and werewolf, lounged on the floor on a pile of pillows, one of those pillows clutched tightly in her arms. To her left, his hip by her head, sat her Russian werewolf boyfriend. He sat with his feet on the floor; his knees up with his arms draped over them.

The twins also sat in armchairs, side by side on the other side of the couch Harry and Hermione sat in. Fred was alone; Angelina had decided to break up with him due to his betting on the tournament the week before. George had his girlfriend in his lap. Nicole was new to the group but with recent events, she and the redheaded jokester had been rather reluctant to be apart. 

Harry and Hermione were not the only ones on the couch. Curled into a ball at Hermione’s feet was a quiet Luna Lovegood. 

Draco Malfoy was never far from this group and sat in a chair next to Neville, completely lost in thought; his eyes distant. Theo sat on the floor at his feet, leaning his back against the chair, his legs fully extended.

The last additions to the group were Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass. Blaise had always been a quiet young man; living his life with dignity and honor. In the last twenty-four hours, he had become like stone. He sat on a second couch Daphne at his side. The Greengrass heiress was much like the Italian boy, holding her emotions in check and living by the old laws of magic and chivalry. Daphne was also an extremely loyal friend. She had attached herself to Blaise to ensure he had a shoulder should he ever need it. 

“What do we do?” Hermione asked the silent room.

For a time, the only sound was the cracking of the fire. It was Harry who finally answered, “We keep going. We learn, we train and we protect each other.”

“We have faith,” Fay added, her eyes meeting Harry’s. “We believe in the adults we know are trying to end this. Remus, Sirius, Professor Snape.”

“Amelia Bones, Narcissa, Bill,” Neville added quietly but firmly.

“My father, Blaise’s family, and the rest of the teachers.” Daphne placed a hand on Blaise’s knee as she spoke. “They do not want to see us fighting their battles so we let them fight. But while they fight, we learn and support each other.”

“It would be a smart time to bring down the barriers between houses,” Luna sat up, her eyes clear. “Fighting within Hogwarts only makes them stronger. If we can leave rivalries on the pitch, perhaps we can stop our generation from repeating the mistakes of the past.”

“Instead of thinking of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin,” Hermione continued, “we think of Hogwarts. We don’t think of blood status but of acceptance. What does it matter who my father is? Why does someone think poorly of Harry’s mother’s parentage when in the same breath she is a hero for protecting her son?”

“My father is a pureblood but he kidnapped and attempted to murder someone. Most condemn him as they should but, in certain circles people would still respect him more than Hermione or professor Flitwick.” Theo frowned as he spoke, “These are the things we should be fighting. Shouldn’t the actions of a person mean more than where or how they grew up?”

“I grew up being treated like a house elf,” Harry added. He had not shared that with many people. Hermione and Neville knew the whole sad tale; Fred and George had guessed at much of it due to the rescue before second year. “I didn’t have a bedroom until I got my Hogwarts letter. It was addressed to the cupboard under the stairs.” He shook his head at the memories of that time; his family had been ridiculous. Unfortunately, he could do nothing to attempt to fix that relationship because of Nott. “If my upbringing should define me, then I should be cleaning the castle with the elves while getting sandwiches and soup every day. If I missed a spot, took too long, was too loud, I would be denied meals.”

Draco hid his shock well, but was sick on the inside. That was no way for any child to grow up. “I was raised to act as though everyone was beneath me. By my father’s insistence, I should be the top student in this school, no matter the year or experience. Hermione outscores me in every class. Neville outscores seventh years in Herbology and Harry is insanely good at Defense, though Blaise has more knowledge of curses.”

“If my father had his way,” Theo admitted, “I would have been dead long ago.”

“I’m a muggleborn,” Nicole Frey grinned. “According to many I am not worthy of being here, and yet I am the best potions student in the school.”

“Our mother has been telling us we would end up in Azkaban because of our pranks.”

George nodded at his brother’s admission. “She says that the only way to be respected in society is to work for the ministry. The funny thing is, our brother Bill is a very respected wizard. He works for Gringotts as a curse breaker and has been working closely with the ministry and the staff here to bring the Dark Tosser down.”

“We want to open a joke shop,” Fred smiled. “Because even in times of darkness, people still need to laugh.”

“Traditionally, coming to Hogwarts is how a young witch finds her husband.” Daphne looked at her nails, “while my father is not so archaic as to believe that is all school is good for, there are others who think just that. Tracey walks around attempting to be the perfect pureblood princess so she can gain the best match. Young ladies of foreign bloodlines act silly around the oldest families so their parents can gain additional contacts. There is a reason Cho Chang worked so hard to get Cedric to notice her; he is just lucky she actually likes him.”

Blaise frowned, “There are some wizards that actively seek out desperate girls and trick them into relationships while at school with the intent of ruining their reputations so that they will have a more difficult time finding a respectable match.” He shook his head, “It is mostly out of practice because there are some fathers who will ruin the wizard in retaliation, but this is still happening. It should not.”

Fay had sat up to lean on Ilya, “I was bitten by Fenrir Greyback on a full moon before third year.” She saw a sliver of shock on Blaise’s face, while Daphne simply raised an eyebrow. Nicole had lifted her head from George’s shoulder momentarily, but shrugged, not concerned. “My mother decided I was no longer welcome in their house. If it weren’t for Hermione, and by extension Harry, I would not be here right now.”

“I was born a werewolf,” Ilya took Fay’s hand, proud that she would share. “My country is attempting to work with the packs to allow werewolf children an education. Those of respected tribes that have the backing of the Alpha could be allowed to attend school so long as their change is not on school grounds and it does not interfere with classes; they started with me as a trial. If I fail, all others will be stuck learning from parents and books, never given the chance to go to school like other children.”

“The student body sees me as crazy because I say things they don’t understand.” Luna could see the wolf in both so was not concerned with their secrets. “What they don’t realize is that most of the time I’m just saying that to keep them away. I see truth. When I look at someone, I can see to the heart of their person; to the potential. From the first moment I saw Harry Potter, I knew he was a genuine person, who spoke truth because that was his identity. I looked at some in my dorms and saw they were unable to decide for themselves and in others I saw fear of the unknown. It is because of them I am Loony Lovegood. They labeled me that before I started talking about Nargles and Wrackspurts.”

The group was silent for a moment. Neville decided to share what he had only shared with Harry, “I didn’t show obvious signs of magic when I was little. It was actually a well-known fact in the magical world because Uncle Algie used to rant about it at the Leaky; it’s why Draco called me a squib when we first got here in first year.”

“Sorry about that, Neville.” 

Neville waved him off, “You apologized already, Draco. What only Harry knows is that Uncle Algie tried to force the magic out of me. He threw me into a lake before I could swim, and ‘accidentally’ dropped me while hanging me out a window by my ankles. Had my magic not shown itself, my great uncle could and probably would have killed me.” 

“This,” Harry said simply. “This is what the school needs. I don’t think there is a person here who thinks poorly or less of anyone in this room after what was just shared. Am I wrong?” He searched faces but could see no argument. “I am sure there was shock but we are also intelligent enough to think. You may not know Ilya, but you all at least knew of Fay during the last school year. Did anyone suspect that she was a werewolf? Does anyone think she needs to be caged now that you know?”

It was Blaise who finally answered, “Had I known at the beginning I would have had questions. I probably would not have approved. Hearing that you have been affected for over a year, and I have not heard anything about werewolves in the area, other than the death of Greyback, means those objections are groundless. Our society is ruled by fear. Fear of the unknown. Greyback was a monster, I suspect, not because of the full moon but because he wanted more and chose violence to get it.”

“Information is the key to understanding,” Daphne agreed. “My father actually has ties to Alphas from international packs. They have explained certain things about the transformation to him and it is up to the individual to choose their path. One path leads to destruction, the other leads to an understanding of self or inner peace.” She studied the Gryffindor girl, “I suspect you have begun on the second path. Whoever is teaching you is wise and I assume respected internationally.”

Fay smiled, “You are correct Daphne. My Alpha is the first respected Alpha in Britain.” She turned her attention to Blaise, “I had hoped that would be your conclusion when I shared. I was not worried about Daphne, mostly because I knew of her father’s connections. Theo had figured it out and the others have been in on my secret for some time. I had hoped you were a person ruled by logic. I hoped that knowing how long this has been my life, you would come to the conclusion that I am essentially the same as I was when I first walked through the doors of the great hall. If four Slytherin students can accept that, then why can’t others?” 

“I think the biggest problem,” Nicole mused, “is that everyone puts on a mask when they walk through the halls. If you’re a Gryffindor, you have to be brave, so therefore you can’t show fear. You also can’t be overly studious or you just don’t fit in.”

“That was my problem before Harry became my friend. And honestly after.”

“If you are a Hufflepuff,” Nicole continued, “you have to be accepting. The only problem is that no one can accept everything. And, though they are typically hard working, even a Puff can be lazy.”

“Ravenclaws may be more studious,” Luna grinned, “but that doesn’t mean they understand life outside that knowledge. And just because someone can’t write a dry, fact-based paper on how to transfigure a mouse into a snuffbox, that doesn’t mean they aren’t smart. There are things Harry knows that I will never really understand. Neville will always know more about plants but he may not be able to write a book on them right now.”

Draco gave a wry smile, “Just because you are sorted into Slytherin does not make you cunning. I was probably the least cunning of the four of us when we got here because I just expected things to be handed to me. I honestly think Daphne has us all beat there. And just because you are cunning and ambitious does not make you evil.”

“The stereotype that all the evil came out of Slytherin needs to stop,” Harry said quietly but firmly. “My parents were betrayed by a Gryffindor; a Gryffindor that had no family ties to the pureblood movement. Sirius, Narcissa and Andromeda come from one of the most feared families but they want this darkness to be defeated.” He smiled ruefully, “I am a Parselmouth. In Britain, that typically means I am a dark wizard; in India, that means I have a revered gift.”

“Fear. This society is ruled by fear.”

“And they alienate those who aren’t the same,” Luna added when Hermione finished. It was no wonder the girl was the one to voice this; seeing as her house alienated her for her father’s reputation.

“So, we make a change.” Harry looked around the room. “We have a start here. Slytherins and Gryffindors, and Luna. What about the Puffs and Claws? Cedric sometimes spends time with us but that is really only when the other champions are around. Who else out there could feel like we do and be brave enough to cross house lines?”

“Roger Davis,” Fred said instantly. “The quidditch teams actually spend a lot of time together and get along well. Also, Fleet.”

“The other Puffs will follow Fleet and Cedric,” George agreed. “I don’t think there is anyone on either of the teams who would go back to ignoring their team members just because they were from a different house.”

“Susan Bones,” Neville added. “Her aunt has always advised her to look beyond houses. She just hasn’t really succeeded because Hannah can be rather shy around non-Puffs.”

“Padma,” Hermione smiled. “She has been spending a bit more time around her sister, though she mostly talks to me.”

“You know,” Fay added, “we did that one girl’s night, but never did another one. It went fairly well, so why did we stop?”

“Pansy and Millie,” Daphne sighed. “Pansy in particular was rather horrible when you weren’t around Hermione. For some reason she fears you more than me now. Millie is just fine when she is alone but Pansy likes to keep her close so she has someone to agree with her on everything.”

“I hope Pansy is alright,” Draco sighed. “I may not have wanted to marry her, but she is going to be so lost without her mother. Most of the ‘horrible Pansy’ is a result of her father. She did whatever he wanted but she wasn’t as bad after she talked with her mother. Having a version of the Dark Lord kill her mother will destroy her life as she knows it. It will prove everything her mother has been saying, quiet as it was, and she will lose all faith in her father. That is if he ever shows up.”

“They still can’t find him?” Hermione wondered.

Draco shook his head, “I talked to mother this morning and she heard from Sirius that he is still missing. No one is sure where he is.”

“How are you doing, Blaise?” Harry asked quietly.

“I am…” he paused unsure how to put his emotions into words. “My mother may not have been the most affectionate mother but she is the reason I survived this long. She had a reputation of causing the death of every man she married, that was partially true.” He looked off, staring at nothing. “My grandfather heads a large organization; known for having absolute power and control. Many sought my mother’s affections to attempt to gain from her position as princess of the family. Some of those men she thought loved her and she liked well enough so she married them. There always seemed to come a time when they would decide that I was no longer needed. My father died protecting me and my mother from a rival; my mother’s other husbands died while trying to kill me.

“It is hard knowing she will not be there. My grandfather is destroyed; she was his heart. He and I are both sad, but mostly we are angry. Tom Riddle does not know what he has brought upon himself by taking my mother from us. The wrath of the most powerful familia will rain down on him.” He looked up from his hands, “I stand with you, Harry Potter.” Blaise got to his feet and placed his hand over his heart, “Your enemy, is my enemy. My wand is yours to command. Should you need me, I will come without hesitation.”

Harry, sensing the seriousness of the moment, stood, “Your loss, is my loss. I fight for those who have fallen, but more, for those who remain. I will not rest, while he still walks.” Harry extended a hand toward the Italian. “I am honored to have you by my side.”

Blaise placed his hand in Harry’s, gripping it tightly. “You are an honorable wizard, Harry. I regret not getting to know you before now.”

Draco stood next, “My wand will always point toward a man who would target women and children.”

“My wand has been turned to this evil since I was a year old.” Neville stood, placing himself at Harry’s side. “His minions took my parents just as he took yours.”

“My allegiance is yours,” Daphne rose to her feet. “Though he claims to fight for tradition, he destroys as much if not more than he protects. He knows not what we stand for, so should not be someone a traditionalist follows. Additionally, children are innocent. They are the future and should be revered.”

“A Weasley always stands for what is right,” George stood after helping Nicole to her feet, holding her hand.

Fred joined him a moment later, “House Weasley has already pledged their wands to this fight; Fred and George pledge theirs to our honorary brother, Harry Potter.”

Luna hopped to her feet, unable to speak with the emotion she was feeling but she was nodding with a determined look on her face.

“All I am and all I have; I pledge to this fight. The one who killed my grandfather followed this madness,” Fay stood, Ilya behind her, his hands on her shoulders. “The children of the moon do not need to be seen as mindless animals who seek blood and destruction; my wolf follows you, my brother in heart.”

Hermione was the last to stand. She moved between the boys, placing herself in front of Harry. “Where you go, I go.” She took his face in her hands, “Anything you need, I will be there to help. If you need research, I will be there. If you need a shoulder, mine will be there. Planning, training, a sounding board, anything, I swear that I will be there. I will not lose my best friend. I love you, Harry Potter.”

Around the room, the group connected. Fred threw an arm around his brother’s shoulder, who continued to hold Nicole’s hand. Daphne took Blaise and Draco’s hands. Theo dropped his hand on Blaise’s shoulder and reached for Fay’s hand. Ilya left his arms wrapped around Fay’s waist as she took Draco and Neville’s hands. Draco placed his free hand on Hermione’s shoulder. Both Fred and Neville placed a hand on Harry’s shoulders. Harry, his face still held in Hermione’s hands, cupped his girlfriend’s cheek in one hand and reached for the lone Ravenclaw. 

Luna watched as magic flowed through the room, the vows they made to each other connecting and flowing about the room. The magic built with each connection and it was beautiful. Seeing the open ends of the chain, she reached for and clasped Nicole and Harry’s hands at the same time, completing the circles. 

Though only one could see it, they all felt a rush of power, pure and clean, sweep through them. A promise was made; pure and selfless. If their elders failed, they would be the end to the darkness that hunted them, one and all. Tom Riddle would not run free while they held breath. One day, they would stand, free of the darkness; allies, friends, family. The beginning of a revolution, the end of Lord Voldemort. 


	40. A Cold Day In May

**Room of Requirement**

Chaos. 

His life had become engulfed in chaos. 

Severus Snape repressed a shudder as he watched a Grim chase a coyote around the room, that coyote had a Capuchin Monkey riding on its head. The little mischievous monkey was alternating between making faces at the Grim and throwing water balloons at unsuspecting bystanders, where the water balloons came from was anyone’s guess at this point. It had been a very busy day so far and the pranking antics were giving him a headache. 

The group had finally all been able to meet after a few weeks of conflicts. After the attack on Diagon Alley things had been hectic. He and Remus were almost constantly in meetings or helping with security measures for the events when not teaching so they had not been able to help the kids with their training, leaving it almost entirely in Sirius’s hands. Bill had also been absent due to his current assignments with Gringotts. Luckily, Albus and Minerva had demanded that he and Remus take the weekend off from their rigorous schedule. Unfortunately, at least for him, that meant spending his afternoon with eleven teenagers instead of his fiancé and Roderick. 

It was a Sunday, the day after Draco’s final quidditch match of the year, an event he had almost skipped but went anyway because it was Draco. Had it been a match that did not include Draco or Harry, he would have gleefully spent the day in his quarters doing absolutely nothing. Draco’s team had faced off against the Beauxbatons Unicorns and had very narrowly won the match. The Basilisks and Unicorns were very evenly matched in all positions. Neither team had allowed many points, it was seventy to fifty for the Unicorns after an hour and a half of game play and the seekers had yet to get close to the snitch. Draco had been excited for the match because Harry had told him that Aimee Beaucourt was an excellent seeker with incredible speed. The blond Slytherin fought for every edge and sincerely thought he was going to lose when they were finally able to track the snitch long enough to fight for it. 

In a move that surprised even him, Draco managed to perform a sloth roll while flying under Aimee and just managed to swipe the snitch as it changed directions suddenly heading the complete opposite direction. It was a move he had once thought only Harry could pull off. Draco had admitted that he looked a lot less graceful doing it when he watched a replay of the catch. The Basilisks had won the match by 140 points and had the snitch simply called the end of the game instead of awarding points, they would have lost by ten points.

Now it was Sunday and he had a free day but instead of doing something calming, he was here. It had been a group decision that they focus on the Animagus transformation instead of dueling, which was fine with him as this was less stressful for the kids. The group had been studying hard, meditating, and channeling their animals, at every opportunity since Harry’s surprising transformation during the fifth task. Harry had not been able to help anyone in explaining exactly what had allowed him to finally make the full change, he had only been able to say that he had just known when he had looked at Idris on the platform of the event.

George did not need any help to find his form. He had admitted weeks ago that he felt he was nearly there, and he proved it after they had been in the room for only ten minutes. The quieter twin had taken a few moments to observe his friends before closing his eyes and channeling the coyote. A canine, characterized as the clever trickster, the very animal representation of George Weasley. He finally let go. Where a young man stood a moment before, a red-toned coyote sat, his tongue lolling in a doggy smile. 

Fred had stared at his twin, his expression more intense and focused than usual and then a moment later he was a small capuchin with a hint of red in the white sections of his fur. As one, the twins changed back to human, gigantic smiles on their faces. 

Before a word could be spoken, they returned to animal form and the insanity began. Sirius was quickly drawn into the madness, transforming into Padfoot, and barking joyously as he gave chase. Draco, not to be outdone, managed a partial transformation and was running around with furry tiger arms and hugging people, rubbing his whiskered cheeks in everyone’s hair. His Tiger tail kept smacking people too. 

Luna and the Slytherins, who now spent almost all of their free time with the group, decided to join in on the water balloon fight. 

Harry had transformed into his Griffin form and was using his giant wings as shields while Neville and Hermione hid behind him, shooting paint blobs from their wands over his back before ducking back down to avoid getting soaked. 

The only ones not participating were Remus, Fay, Daphne, and himself. He and Daphne had attempted to read but had abandoned that after the first water balloon splashed at their feet. Daphne had since cast a shielding charm around herself and was now glaring at the rowdy group, planning some form of punishment. 

He had given up attempting to control this group long ago and had just slumped into her seat, cast a shield, and started planning a surprise for Narcissa, his fiancé was stressed and needed a break. 

“Can I kill Fred?” Fay asked immediately after a water balloon pelted her in the face, exploding on impact. It didn’t hurt as it was tossed by a tiny monkey but was still annoying.

“As much as I would enjoy killing a few of them,” Remus rubbed his temples, “I would regret it in a few days, so no, you can’t kill Fred.”

“Draco?”

“No.”

“Theo?”

“No,” he sighed, “you also can’t kill Padfoot, George, Neville, or Blaise.”

“Why didn’t you say Harry, Hermione or Luna?”

“None of those three have aimed at you.”

“Fair point,” the little werewolf frowned, “can I maim one of them?”

Instead of answering, Remus gave her a look. For the ‘nice’ one, Remus had an impressive glare, especially on the day of the full moon. “ENOUGH!” Remus’s voice reverberated around the room and each and every one of the miscreants froze. “I have a headache and Fay is currently contemplating murder,” he glanced at Daphne, “and I really don’t want to know what miss Greengrass is planning for you.”

Sirius transformed back into a man, “Fair enough, Moony,” he too glanced at Daphne and shuddered, “and please remind me to not irritate Miss Greengrass. Her father is terrifying when he gets that look in his eyes and I get the feeling she will be even more formidable.” 

In answer, Daphne merely raised an eyebrow, causing several individuals in the room to reevaluate their priorities when it came to spontaneous fun.

“I think,” Hermione said, leaning her head on Harry’s now human shoulder, “that we should congratulate our friends who succeeded in their transformation and perhaps, give them their Marauder names.”

“Fantastic idea, Miss Granger,” Sirius said, attempting to sound serious while bouncing on his toes, glee painted on his face.

“Before you go any farther, Snuffles,” the brunette stared him down, “if anyone suggests feather brain for Harry, they will have to face me.”

Sirius raised his arms, “I wouldn’t even dare, but keep in mind, Marauder names are not meant to be too serious. I say we put names forward and then vote, Harry will not have a say.”

“King,” Hermione shouted out before anyone else could comment.

“Lightning-beak,” was Draco’s idea.

“Sky Lord,” Neville suggested.

“Shadow-tail, you know because he is a black lion.” 

George rolled his eyes at his twin, “Too obvious my attractive twin. Talon.”

“Darkwing,” Sirius grinned. 

Harry turned his face into Hermione’s hair, “Do you think he watched it or is it a coincidence?”

“Coincidence, he would be far more obnoxious if he had seen Darkwing Duck.”

“What are the chances that will end up being my name?”

Hermione looked around at their friends, “high, Fred and George have abandoned their ideas and Luna is grinning deliriously. The truly horrible thing is I think Fay has seen Darkwing Duck so she will vote for that and then introduce it to Sirius at some point.”

“I’m doomed then?”

“I would expect a Darkwing Duck costume for your griffin in the near future. Perhaps one for you to wear at Halloween as well.”

While they were having this conversation, Sirius had called it to a vote. It was nearly unanimous; Harry would forever be known as Darkwing. Fay had in fact seen the cartoon, thanks to her grandparents, because she coughed ‘duck’ under her breath when Sirius announced their decision.

“What should we call our illustrious twins?” Remus started them off this time.

“Bobo,” Hermione grinned, “For Fred.”

“Cheeks,” George pushed his twin.

“Banana breath,” Draco rolled his eyes.

Harry winked at Hermione, “Abu.”

Sirius looked at Harry, that reference he did catch. The former resident of Azkaban LOVED Disney movies because they were so cheerful. Hermione had made it a point to have their ‘family’ watch them so they could see what she grew up with in terms of fairy tales. “No vote, Fred is now Abu!”

“Wrong type of monkey,” Hermione and Fay both said at the same time.

“True,” Remus agreed, “but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be hilarious to dress him up in a vest and fez. Maybe give him some tiny cymbals while we’re at it.”

The girls shared and look, “Agreed, but definitely no cymbals,” Hermione shuddered, “I can already imagine him trying to drive us crazy with them.” 

“Do you have any idea what they are talking about?” Theo asked his fellow Slytherins.

“I am as confused as you are,” Daphne frowned in irritation.

“I get the monkey reference,” Blaise sighed, “It’s from a children’s movie made by muggles; if I’m being honest, it’s rather entertaining. I have no idea what is so funny about Darkwing though.”

“And this nickname business?”

“That I can answer,” Theo pipped up at Daphne’s question. “It’s a tradition of sorts. Professor Lupin, Mister Black and Harry’s father were pranksters back in school and gave each other silly nicknames or codenames. I believe they were somehow inspired by their animagus forms.”

Blaise blinked, “They managed the transformation in school? Without help?” He knew they weren’t registered, at least not on any public record and, had it been known when he was arrested, Sirius’s form would have been put on a public record. 

“It shouldn’t be that surprising,” Daphne shrugged gracefully, “Harry, Fred and George have all managed it with the help of mister Black. There is only a slight problem with your explanation though,” she glanced toward their defense professor. “Professor Lupin is not an animagus.”

“That I can’t explain,” Theo admitted.

“But I can see that Miss Greengrass can or at least has a theory,” Severus had walked up behind his snakes, to see just what they were whispering about. “I would hope that you would refrain from sharing anything you learn here without permission. There are those who wish people in this room harm and the best way to get to most of them is to cause harm to one of the others here.”

The trio nodded, “My father has shared a number of things with me, I have known that particular secret since third year. My father has no problem with it, and I have no intention of allowing a subpar teacher to take his place.”

“Quite logical,” the potions master nodded, “If either of you ever realize what they are hiding, I expect the same discretion.”

“You have my word professor,” Theo agreed solemnly.

“Had I wanted to say anything, I would have said it over the Yule holiday,” the young Italian shrugged. “It wasn’t that hard to figure out, especially when you know who his foreign friends are. My family has business dealings with Marcello Giovanni, who was invited as Professor Lupin’s guest for his New Year’s party.”

“Do not let me down,” Severus spoke quietly, but his tone brokered no arguments. 

While the Slytherins had been talking, the rest of the group had been discussing the brilliance of Aladdin and the humorous antics of Darkwing Duck, or at least he supposed they were meant to be humorous considering all the laughing that was happening as a result of Fay’s tales. The dignified man rolled his eyes, “Can we continue this madness or am I allowed to leave?”

“Right you are my friend, though it is very strange for me to call you friend,” Sirius laughed at himself, “it is time to pick a name for twin number two. Ideas?”

“Rusty.”

“Yips.”

“Toto.”

“Puddles,” Harry suggested, not really serious about the idea but he thought it would get a chuckle. Inevitably the twins and Sirius laughed hard.

“It’s too bad that hyena in the Lion King is named Ed, if his name was better it would be perfect for George,” Fay sighed. “I know, Chucky!”

“The murder doll or the baby?” Blaise wondered.

“I was going for the baby, because of the hair. How do you know about the murder doll? That movie is rated for 18 or older!”

The Italian boy raised an eyebrow, “Do you honestly think my grandfather cared what I watched when I was with him? Mother wasn’t too concerned about me being scared by movies either. There are far more terrifying things happening at the compound than any muggle could come up with. I thought Child’s Play was rather amusing.”

“Your response scares me,” Fay admitted. “I kind of want to rescind my idea because now I will be thinking of the murder doll instead of the goofy baby whenever that name is said.”

“What about Wakko?” Harry wondered. “Isn’t that a character from some cartoon?”

Hermione nodded, “The Anamaniacs. Which almost makes me want to suggest Pinky and the Brain, but I like Abu too much to change Fred’s name.” 

Remus chuckled, “I believe we have a winner,” he had been watching the reactions and Wakko got the best one. “Forever more, our Coyote will be known as Wakko!”

Neville leaned into Hermione and stage whispered so everyone could hear, “This discussion makes me a little afraid of what I’m going to be saddled with when my time comes.”

“I was afraid the moment Harry said he wanted to become an animagus,” the brunette admitted. “I knew Sirius would take over just like this.”

Severus allowed a small smile to cross his face; time and again, Hermione Granger proved she was smart beyond her years. 

**Grimmauld Place**

Sirius Black stood at the hearth of the fireplace within the Black library, lost in thought. He wanted to be elsewhere, anywhere else if he was honest. Grimmauld Place may have been redecorated but it still held terrible memories. 

His life was a mess despite the positive changes. While he may not still be locked in a cell for crimes he did not commit, he felt as though he was still imprisoned by circumstance. He was stuck, fighting against two forms of one man that wanted to bring the wizarding world to its knees at the expense of everything pure, at the expense of his godson. If it weren’t for Tom Riddle, he would be out, trying to convince a young widow that he was good enough for her but most importantly he was good enough to be in her son’s life; if he wasn’t good enough to be around her kid, she would never let him stick around. Instead, he was here, in his family home trying to come up with a way to protect those most important to him. 

His reasons for living were outside his home, away from the memories of the past. Harry was his reason for surviving. Remus was his shoulder, his support. Narcissa was his ally. Fred and George were his humor. Hermione was his reminder that he was right to look beyond his family’s beliefs. Severus was the proof that people could change. 

And then there was Liz and Chris. The mother and son were becoming his hope. He knew that he shouldn’t be that focused on her as they had only just met but he couldn’t help it. She was just so different from everyone he had ever known. Sirius had told her more than he should have, shared his dark past, but she had not run away. Liz had appreciated the fact that he had shared his shame and her son thought he was hilarious. Harry may have always been his hope for the future, but they were a different kind of hope. Liz and Chris were his own personal hope. A hope that he might have a chance at a family of his own, a chance to be a husband and father. That might sound creepy and a bit like he was a stalker, but he knew that if she didn’t want him, he would let her go. He would never force his darkness on someone that pure. 

He needed to buckle down and find a way to end this. His family would always fight. Not simply to survive but because the darkness would come for them no matter what they did or said. They needed a plan, an answer. The answer had been in front of him since the attack on the Alley, but he hadn’t wanted to think about it. 

Atonement. 

This had traditionally been the Black family’s way of ensuring that justice was served. He should have thought of it before Andy and Cissy, but he had been too afraid to chance the potential repercussions, too afraid of his history and his inner turmoil. He might play at being recovered, but he was still damaged, still fighting back the darkness that plagued him. It was not that he didn’t think their cause was just, there really was no question there, but he had spent his childhood listening to how his ancestors had screwed up. Though his cousins didn’t know it, Bella’s insanity was a result of a Black seeking revenge instead of justice through Atonement. His own mother had been affected by the consequences too. While most of the family thought the consequences of casting for the wrong reason were immediate, he knew, as did every head before him, that there were lasting difficulties. He hadn’t wanted to even think about what could potentially happen to Harry or Draco if magic deemed their cause unjust, not to mention what would certainly happen to him or his cousins. 

“Sirius,” Narcissa called quietly from her seat on the divan behind him, “what is troubling you?”

“I would like to know why he called us here,” Andromeda grumbled. She was doing well considering she had lost the lower part of her wand arm only weeks before. One good thing about being raised by the Black family of their youth was that you were trained ruthlessly and relentlessly. All of them had been forced to become adept at casting with both hands. Though slightly out of practice, Andromeda was progressing quickly. “Why just us? Where are Severus and Remus? What about Dora and the Nott boys?”

The head of the Black family sighed; it was time. “I have been avoiding the obvious out of fear.” He knew he was talking very quietly but he could barely get the words out, “It is time to take the chance.”

Andy quirked an eyebrow as he turned, “What do you mean?”

“Atonement,” he sighed. “We can end him if we get the chance, you were right about that. My question for you is, do we teach the kids too?”

“Nymphadora deserves to know,” Narcissa said before her sister could. “That girl has proven herself time and time again. She is an Auror and in my opinion, she is incapable of seeking vengeance.”

“My daughter became an Auror to right wrongs and protect the little guy,” Andy nodded, “I think she can handle this emotionally and she definitely has the power requirements.”

“What about Draco?”

Narcissa nodded, “Had you asked me that a year ago my answer would have been different. My son is a different person now that his father is no longer in his life. His relationship with Harry and the Gryffindors has changed him for the better, as hard as that is to say for a true Slytherin. I think he will be able to handle the responsibility as long as he understands the enormity of the consequences.”

“Harry should be taught as well,” Andromeda added before Sirius could respond. “His grandmother was a Black, he should be Black enough to perform it and if there is anyone pure hearted enough to have this knowledge and use it properly it is that boy.”

Sirius nodded, “That was my opinion, but I wanted yours as well. My only concern is that Harry is not the child of a Black and grandfather made it clear that one of your parents needed to be a Black.”

“You are his godfather,” Narcissa rolled her eyes.

“We didn’t perform the ceremony,” he sighed. “There wasn’t time. Typically, you wait until the first birthday for that but that was when the Potters kept getting attacked. We couldn’t keep them hidden long enough to plan something like that. Once we decided on using the Fidelius we decided that we would perform the ceremony on the winter solstice, but obviously that didn’t happen.”

“So do the ceremony now,” Andy shook her head like it was the most obvious conclusion. “It will bring him into the family magics more securely and will prove to you and the ministry that you only have his best intentions in mind. You don’t need to wait for a magically important day, any day is important if your goal is to create a stronger family bond. The fact that he is a grandson of a Black should be enough, but you are right that we should not take any chances with this.”

“Agreed,” the blonde woman stood, “You should do it this weekend, after the sixth task. If he is injured at all, the ceremony will help heal him too. Remus, Aria, Severus, and myself could stand as witness and I am sure that Albus would consent to performing the ceremony. He will probably say it was long overdue with that obnoxious twinkle in his eyes.” 

“And then we can start training the three of them the next day. He should be fully integrated into the family magic after he sleeps.”

Sirius pulled Narcissa into a hug, “Thank you for being here.” He looked to Andy, his heart in his eyes, “I don’t think I could do this without you. Remus may be my brother, but he lacks the Black mindset. He doesn’t understand our family traditions and I can’t share certain things with him because he is not blood. We should never have let this war tear our family apart. Blacks are stronger when they stand together.” He released his cousin and started to pace. “This family will survive this, even if it is just our children who see the light at the end of the tunnel. Riddle will be defeated, or we will all be dead and buried in the fight to bring him down. I will not let him survive this and I will use every weapon I have at my disposal.”

The Head of House Black made his way to the back of the library, “It is time for us to act like a house under siege. Blacks do not let insurgents lock them down, we fight. No one leaves this house, or Hogwarts grounds without being fully prepared to fight for your life. You carry a spare wand no matter where you are, wards or not.”

“We should also pull out our dragonhide armor,” Narcissa stood next to him, a concealed door between them. Together they tapped the wall on either side of the hidden chamber with their wands. The wall disappeared, revealing the Black armory. “We should also arm our closest allies.”

The trio walked into the room, examining the collection of Black battle gear. Narcissa walked directly to the dragon hide and pulled down a cloak, it was the one their grandfather had made for her during the first war just in case things got any worse. He had insisted on her keeping it at Grimmauld in the armory so that no one else could use it; she guessed that he didn’t want her former husband to gift it to one of the Dark Lords generals. The door could only be opened with the Head and one other Elder of the family. The fact that those three were considered Elders of the family when not one of them was even close to fifty was sad and said more about the last war than any other statistic. Riddle did not value the oldest families. She also pulled down two dragon hid coats and two vests. 

“I think these will fit Draco and Harry.” She examined the wall of dragon hide garments, “We may want to commission more so that we can make sure all the kids are covered.”

Andromeda walked up next to her, “I think our old vests and jackets should fit Hermione and Fay.” She grabbed the garments, “The issue is going to be the Nott boys. We just don’t have enough. We should try to cover the younger kids first, right?”

“Fred and George won’t stand down even if ordered,” Sirius agreed. “They are far too protective of Harry to allow him to fight without them. Neville is the same.”

“I will talk to Augusta,” Narcissa decided, “I am sure they have at least some dragonhide armor because of Frank and Alice. Maybe something they have will fit the Nott boys or the twins.” She tilted her head considering, “I should also speak with Don Zabini; he will undoubtedly have more armor and may be willing to kit out our group because we are working to destroy the man who killed his only daughter.” 

“Lord Greengrass probably has some armor for his daughters, he may have something from the past we can use as well,” Andromeda may have abandoned her family after Hogwarts, but she did know how the old families functioned. It came back quickly when she was given back her family heritage. 

“I’ll talk to Bill Weasley as well. I know he has dragonhide for himself but maybe he has an old jacket one of his brothers could wear. Gringotts takes care of its curse breakers and dragonhide is standard issue.” Sirius called from the end of the room, before him was a chest full of wands. “Start testing wands,” he nodded to the chest, “If you can’t find one here, I can pull some from the Potter vaults too.”

“Shall I take this to the school so the kids can start testing wands too?” Narcissa asked as she picked up an elegant wand from the chest. She knew it had belonged to Aunt Cassiopeia. As a child, she had borrowed the wand often, so she knew it worked well for her.

Sirius nodded, “Please do, I’ll have the Nott boys check before you leave here today.”

“Dora already carries a spare, Amelia Bones demanded that all Aurors start carrying a spare when things started getting bad; said it should have been standard procedure all along but the man in the Head Auror position thought it unnecessary.”

Sirius nodded as he headed to the wall of dragon hide. His hand brushed over Regulus’s last coat sadly, it would fit Remus relatively well. His best friend was still skinny, much as his little brother had always been. His father’s dragon hide would be perfect for Severus. 

“Do we carry blades?” Narcissa wondered.

Sirius turned to see her staring at the other weapons in the room. The Black family had taken good care of its bladed weapons. There were probably a hundred knives and swords on the wall opposite the armor, all of it polished and exceptionally sharp. “May as well; if you can conceal a knife it might just save your life as most dark idiots don’t expect a physical attack.” He snagged a black handled knife his grandfather had favored. “I am sure Severus would agree.”

“He would,” the man’s fiancé agreed. “You need to call a meeting with our allies. They need to be made aware of the fact that we are taking the fight to him, to both versions of him.” She met his gaze head on, “Let them decide how they will respond. One of them will need to remain out of the fight just in case we both fall so that we still have a leader to speak to the Wizengamot. I would suggest both Silas Greengrass and Lady Augusta, but it will be up to them to decide.” 

“Honestly,” Sirius sighed, “I doubt any of the founding families will choose to fight physically. We are the youngest of them and the ones with the most to fight for. Some of our other allies may offer the help of younger members of their family but I do not want to force anyone to put their wand forward. We are Blacks and we are always prepared to fight for our family.”

Andromeda wrapped her arm around her cousin, “You are bringing honor to a family that I once thought had none. You have shown me that anyone can change and that the past does not have to decide your future. I am proud of you Sirius.”

Sirius rested his chin on her shoulder, “Thank you for believing in me, Andy, Cissy.”

“I always have, Siri, and I always will.”

Narcissa leaned into them, sighing in contentment. The Black family would fight. They would not rest until Tom Riddle was dead.

**Slytherin House**

Draco shoved Blaise out of the room with a laugh. It had become his mission in life to attempt to make the Italian smile at least once a day. While Draco could never understand what it was like to lose a beloved parent, he could imagine how he would react if he lost his mother. Heck, Draco was fairly certain he would be a mess when his father passed, even if he wanted nothing to do with the power-hungry bigot who was rotting in prison. 

As always, Blaise rolled his eyes at all of Draco’s attempts to bring amusement into his life. Blaise had explained, in great detail, that he was not ready or willing to be anything other than angry until Voldemort was completely dead. It was the Zabini way, revenge before mourning. 

“Come on you two,” Theo yelled down the hall. He was waiting in the common room with Daphne and a good portion of the house. “We are supposed to meet Hermione in ten minutes, and you know she will give us homework or something if we are late.”

“Shut it, Theo. Hermione is not going to give you homework, but she might lecture you because it will take her mind off of the danger Harry is going to be in this afternoon.” Daphne often questioned why she associated with any of her house members, but if not them, then she would be completely alone. She really needed to work on getting some of the other girls in her house to have an actual opinion of their own.

“Now that I can see,” Draco dropped an arm around Theo’s shoulder. “She is more than a bit crazy when she is worried about Harry.” The quartet made their way through the room, headed for the hall that would lead them through the castle and to the grounds. Before they could exit their common room, Draco noticed Vincent Crabbe.

Vince sat in one of the armchairs near the fire. While it was relatively warm for Scotland in May, it was still chilly in the Slytherin common room. The husky teen sat, brooding over some parchment, looking almost lost. This was new for the often-simple young man. Vincent Crabbe was known for his love of food, mocking those less fortunate and generally not caring. He didn’t care about school, didn’t participate in anything, and didn’t really get along with anyone anymore. When he started Hogwarts, he was close with Greg Goyle and followed Draco around like a loyal dog, mostly because that is what he had always done because his father told him to. But time changes everything.

The first to leave the trio was Draco. The former Malfoy had stopped listening to his father’s every word and started to actually pay attention to the world around him. Crabbe saw that Draco was happier than he used to be so maybe thinking for yourself was better for you in the long run. That summer changed Greggory Goyle. His father’s arrest after the events of the world cup changed the other boy. Greg didn’t find joy in the things he used to and started taking his studies seriously. The change freaked Vince out.

“Draco?” Daphne looked over her shoulder seeing Draco had stopped. “Are you coming?”

Draco bit his lip, looking back and forth between his friends and the lone boy by the fire. He took one step toward the door but then shook his head. “Go on without me, there is something I need to do.” And there was something he needed to do. He might not be close with Vince anymore, but they had been friends, or at least friendly, for a long time. The blond made his way to the frowning boy and dropped down into an open chair. “Are you alright, Vince?”

Vincent Crabbe jumped, startled by the intrusion. “Hey, Draco.” He looked up briefly, only to drop his gaze back to the parchment gripped in his hands.

Draco waited, hoping to get a response but one never came. He sighed, “I know, we haven’t really talked in a while, but I am still here if you need me. I’ve noticed you have been kind of quiet recently and I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

The other boy just shrugged. 

“Greg mentioned that you got a letter from your father the other day. He said you seemed troubled when you read it. Is everything alright with your mother?”

“She’s fine.”

“Your grandparents?”

“They’re fine too.”

“Your dad?”

Vince shrugged again. “He’s happy enough. He asked me to do something, but I don’t know if I should.”

“Do you want to do it?”

“I kind of have been for a long time but now it’s not just for the fun of it. There could be consequences.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“Not really but it also could be.”

“Could you get hurt by doing it?”

“No. Not by him. But if I did it and it got out and things didn’t go the way my dad wanted then I could get in serious trouble for doing it.”

“I take it other people could get hurt?”

“In a roundabout way, yes.”

Draco nodded. While he might not know the details, he was fairly sure he knew what Vince’s dad had asked him to do. It was the same thing every Death Eater asked their kid to do when they entered Hogwarts. Evaluate all students in your year and house and report which follow the path, which could be turned, and which are beyond redemption. Draco had sent his father reports for the first few months of school in first year but had stopped after the yule holiday when his father failed to even comment on Draco’s assessment. The fact that he wasn’t scolded for not turning in reports for the remainder of that year just meant he had made the right decision to stop. Vince it seemed had not stopped. Maybe his father had actually been grateful or praised his son. 

“I can’t make that decision for you Vince. I know what I think you should do but I can’t force my thoughts and beliefs on you; I think our parents have done that enough. What I can say is that if you are having doubts about this mission, then it might not be the right thing for you.” He looked at the other boy. Vince had lost weight. His face used to be a lot rounder and it had made him look younger, like he was still carrying all his baby fat. Now he just looked tired and perhaps a little sick. “Think about what you want and do that. I know you haven’t talked to Greg since the beginning of the year because your father forbade it but was that really what you wanted?” 

Vince shook his head. “I miss hanging out with Greg.”

“Do you want to follow the man that killed Pansy’s mom?”

“No.”

“Do you want to side with the man who is going to have the full force of Blaise’s family after him? They killed his mom too. And they weren’t just aiming at adults. Several kids were taken to St. Mungo’s after the attack on the Alley.”

“I don’t want to kill kids. It is one thing to kill someone in the middle of battle, at least you know they are aiming to hurt you too, but kids can’t do that.”

Draco stood and put a hand on Vince’s shoulder, “Then don’t do it. Your dad will hand over anything you send him to that mad man. They will use that information to gain entry to the school or to target families who just want to live their lives in peace.”

“But what about our traditions?”

The blond blinked, “Did your dad tell you that the only way to keep our traditions was to follow Voldy?” Draco sighed when the other boy nodded, “You really need to pay attention to the papers once and a while. My mom and cousin Sirius may be trying to change a few things in our society, but they are doing it while honoring tradition. Uncle Sirius may not care about tradition, but you know my mom does. The traditions honored at the manor growing up were not a result of my father’s planning but at my mother’s insistence. Heck, from what I have been able to gather looking at the records, Voldy has done more to destroy our traditions than anyone else, but don’t take my word for it. Do the research or talk to one of the older students.”

“What will I do if I don’t do what he asks? He will kill me.”

“Then you find somewhere else to stay. You could probably stay with me. Or I am sure Greg’s mom would take you in. Blaise’s grandfather might even consent to let you stay with them. You have options as long as you ask and don’t try to double-cross us. We have a couple of really scary elves that would love to capture a traitor.”

Vince wasn’t sure if he should laugh or cringe at the mention of scary elves. Draco had given him a lot to think about, but it wasn’t Draco he wanted advice from. It was time to mend the bridge between him and Greg.

**Tournament Field**

Hermione stood at the railing of the stands staring out at the arena Harry would have to compete in. It should have been surprising, but they had guessed correctly. What else would you need an ice pick for?

She had come down early with Harry and the other champions; the organizers, most likely through Percy, would be explaining a few things about the task. Hopefully, there would be some safety measures in place in case things went wrong inside the tournament field. 

“Is that a giant snow globe?” Ron asked, surprising Hermione. They really didn’t talk that much anymore other than the occasional group event. Ron seemed to be much happier spending time with Seamus and Dean.

“Yes, it is.”

“Why didn’t they do this event in January? I mean it was already snowing so they wouldn’t have really needed to make snow and the lake is bloody cold in April, so it had to be icy in the middle of winter.”

“I don’t have a good answer for you, Ron. Logic seems to be lost on wizards.”

“Come on, Hermione,” he bumped her shoulder with a grin, “you’re the know-it-all bookworm of the Gryffindors, you’ve got to have a better answer than lack of logic; you used that in first year.”

She rolled her eyes at him, Ron saying those words two years ago would have really hurt but now that they weren’t as close, she could see the joke behind them, at least most of the time; sometimes she thought he called her a know-it-all just to see how poorly she would react. It also helped that she didn’t feel the need to hound him to get his homework done. “Fine, then perhaps they decided that it would be best for the contestants to have a warmer climate for when they exited this arena. If the snow globe is cold enough then the organizers might have thought that the difference in temperature would have been better for the contestants after they completed the task. While not an entirely bad idea, it would have been better had they chosen March or April. Too much of a temperature shift can actually be worse for the body than remaining in a cold environment for a bit longer than anticipated. We have magic so there would be no fear of hypothermia as the tasks aren’t really long enough for that to set in unless someone fell into a frozen lake but there are healers on hand if something drastic were to happen.”

“You lost me, but that definitely sounded more like a Hermione Granger response.”

“I am glad so I could be of service,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Ron slung an arm around her shoulder with a chuckle, “We are much better friends like this aren’t we, Herms?”

“Herms?” She looked at him, more than a bit disturbed by the nickname, “Herms? Why would you shorten my name to Herms?”

“I don’t know,” Ron shrugged, not seeing the danger of this particular line of thinking, or his brothers standing behind him exchanging money. “I thought it was more of a buddy name and thought Mione sounded funny. Come one Herms, your name is a mouthful.”

Hermione felt her eye twitch as she stared at the youngest male Weasley and wondered if he actually had any sense of self-preservation. 

“Ickle Ronnie-kins,” Fred said, grabbing his little brother’s shoulders and pulling him backward, away from a clearly irritated Hermione Granger and placing him in a headlock.

“How are you this fine Saturday?” George slid between Ron and Hermione.

“Oi, get off me,” Ron grumbled, “and do you have to call me that?”

“I don’t know, Georgie, do we have to call him ickle Ronnie-kins?”

“Good question, Frederick. We don’t have to, but then again, he insists on calling the lovely miss Granger Herms.”

“Too right, dear twin.” Fred looked down at Ron, “Yes, we do have to call you that.”

“If you call Hermione Herms, we call you ickle Ronnie-kins.”

“But you’ve been calling me that for years and today is the first time I’ve called her Herms.”

“He is correct, George.”

George nodded, “Well, yes, but we really only call him ickle Ronnie-kins after he does something stupid”

“Ah, yes, you’re right. We try to save him from himself by drawing attention away from the idiotic thing he says by embarrassing him.”

“So, you see, Ronnie,” George grinned, “we will call you that as long as you do something that could cause you pain. You often open your mouth and say things that will get you hexed and we did promise Percy that we would look out for you, since he is no longer here to do so, what with his job at the ministry.”

“We’re just trying to train you so that when we are gone too, Hermione doesn’t kill you for being obnoxious.”

“Or Fay.”

“Or Katie.”

“Let us not forget our short-tempered sister.”

“And the entire house of Slytherin.”

“Ravenclaws find him annoying as well.”

“So basically, we are trying to protect you from everyone but Lavender.”

“Too true, we don’t think you need protection from Lav Lav,” the duo made kissing faces. 

“Hermione,” George wondered, “have we succeeded in saving our dear younger brother from a hexing on this fine morning?”

The brunette shook her head, fighting a laugh. “You two are utterly ridiculous.”

“Yes, I believe that is the point; but are you still going to hex Ron?”

“No, Fred, Ron will live to stick his foot in his mouth another day.”

The twins high-fived, “Best big brothers ever,” they said in unison.

“Actually, I thought that was my title.”

The quartet turned to see Bill standing behind them.

“Darn,” Fred sighed.

“Indeed, Bill is correct. He is the best big brother ever. He just had to show up and steal our thunder.”

“So cruel, Bill,” Fred whipped his cheek as though he was swiping away a tear.

“Couldn’t let us have a moment.”

“I think I need a hug.”

“I do too.”

“Will you hug me, Gred?”

“Of course, Forge.”

The twins fell on each other, pretending to sob.

“How do you stand them?” Ron asked, once again standing next to Hermione. “You spend way more time with them than I do, and when I am at home, I can only stand about two minutes of them before I have to hide.”

Hermione shrugged, “They make Harry smile, so I do my best to ignore the chaos. Plus, I think they have learned my moods and know when to turn it off.”

“So, you aren’t irritated at them right now?” Bill wondered.

“They do something before every task to try to distract me. The more bizarre they act, the less I focus on what could possibly kill Harry this time while I am incapable of helping him.”

“They plan this stuff?” Ron wondered, awe in his voice. “I thought they were just crazy.”

“No, Ron, they are far from crazy.” Bill placed a comforting hand on his youngest brother’s shoulder, “If I’m being honest, those two have the potential to do so much more than I could ever imagine. You should see their grades since Remus and Sirius had a talk with them. They are actually near the top of their year, George is fourth and Fred is eleventh or twelfth,” the fourth years looked at Bill in shock. “Sirius said they had to pass their NEWTs, or they wouldn’t get to use the building Sirius bought in the Alley for their store. Knowing Remus would be watching, they have actually been trying instead of turning in rushed work that covers the bare minimum.”

“Did you hear that, George?”

“I did indeed, Bill is sharing our secrets.”

“How should we punish him?”

“Can we punish him?”

“I don’t suppose we can. If we make him too mad, he won’t let us stay with him.”

“And if we can’t stay with him, then we have to stay at home with mom,” they both shuddered.

“We might be able to stay with Harry.”

“Yes, but Aunt Cissy is pregnant, and I don’t want to cross her.”

“Too true. Why is it that all the women in Harry’s life are downright scary?”

“Don’t know; he kind of deserves scary, protective people in his life though, doesn’t he?”

“Right.” George straightened. “You win this round, Bill. I am going to go find my girlfriend and see what pranks she has been dreaming up.”

Fred watched his twin walk away wistfully, “I wish my girlfriend didn’t hate my pranking.”

“Well, I’m going to find Lavender. Are you going to sit with the Lions or with your strange group of everyone?”

Hermione watched Fred walk away for a second, “I’m not sure, Ron. Would Draco, Theo and Blaise be welcome?” Their group had adopted the Italian after his mother’s death. They forced their company on him so that now he just sought them out to simplify things. Seeing him pause with a constipated look on his face, she shook her head, “Neville, Fay and I will be sitting with our group; if you can handle being around that many Slytherins then you can sit in our section but there will also probably be a few professors, including professor Snape.”

“I think I’ll pass,” he said before waving and running off. 

“How are you holding up, Miss Granger?” Bill asked.

“I’m… fine,” she shrugged, unable to find the right word. “It shouldn’t be too bad in there. I think they are all competing at the same time and, if so, I know they won’t let anything happen to him if they can help it. Plus, it’s Harry; he somehow manages to come out of everything, impressing the hell out of even his biggest sceptics.”

Bill nodded with a smile, “And how is Rah doing this morning?” he could see the snake peeking out from Hermione’s robes.

“He’s frustrated,” Hermione smiled and patted the boomslang’s head. “At least I think he is. Harry told me that Rah said the judges are cruel and biased for not letting him join Harry. Parselmouth wizards are meant to have their snake familiars with them.”

“Rah went on a long rant about intolerance this morning,” Neville added joining Hermione at the railing of the stands. “Barring a snake from aiding his Speaker is discriminatory toward the wizard and the snake. He is highly insulted,” the Gryffindor grinned. “It is really strange listening to a snake and a Parselmouth have long conversations. I could tell Rah was agitated, he was basically pacing as he hissed. Apparently, I have been spending enough time with him to be able to tell the difference between normal conversational hissing and irritated/angry hissing.”

“Lucky,” Draco nudged Neville aside so he could stand next to Hermione, or perhaps because of Rah. “Has Harry made any headway into making me able to talk to snakes? Rah and I really need to be allowed to bond properly.” The Slytherin ran a hand over Rah’s head, “Come bond with cousin Draco,” he held his arm up to Hermione’s shoulder so the snake could choose who to sit on during the task; it was not a surprise to anyone that he flicked his tongue on Hermione’s cheek and then proceeded to slither down Draco’s arm to the coil around his shoulders and neck. “How is my serpent buddy doing today?”

“I have seen this before,” Blaise said in his usual dignified tone, “but I still find it unnerving that a child of such a prestigious family can become so flamboyant around a serpent.” He looked to Rah when he hissed, “I will admit that you are a glorious creature, but I see no need to lose my dignity when I see you.”

“And this is why I say Blaise needs to relax,” Theo placed an arm around the Italian. His persona had become even more emotionless since his mother’s murder. “Rah is awesome and we are Slytherins, my friend; show some house loyalty.”

“Fay, Luna” Hermione looked to the two girls who had just arrived at their position, “Save me from idiot boys.”

“Hey,” Neville said in feigned insult.

Hermione patted his back; Draco had moved over toward the seats to coo over Rah while Theo tried to make Blaise relax. “You are the only one who doesn’t drive me to distraction, Nev, but a girl still needs female company for time to time.”

Bill shook his head at the antics of the teenagers. He missed being able to forget about his responsibilities like that. “Perhaps we should start taking our seats? It is starting to get crowded and there are quite a few members of our group still missing. If we don’t get seats now, they might not be able to sit with us.”

“That is actually why I came over here,” Fay grinned. “Ilya is with Remus and Aria; they have seats in the next section over. There is also a rather large, Grim looking dog with them.” She winked at Hermione, “for some reason, people are afraid to get near Padfoot.”

Hermione shook her head, imagining the childish man purposely chasing after people who walked away in fear of his animagus form. “I suppose he is a good deterrent, even if it is just a little cruel.”

“Not everyone is falling for it,” Luna smiled serenely. “Little Brendan, the boy who won Harry’s broom, and his father came to see the task and wanted to sit with Harry’s friends. He took one look at Padfoot and asked his dad for a dog. He has been hanging onto the silly dog ever since.”

The Gryffindor bookworm found herself shaking her head once more, “We are never going to hear the end of this now. He won’t just be waking everyone else up as a dog anymore, he will decide to greet us as a dog now too.”

True enough, when the group made it to their blocked-out seating, there was a large Grim running around with a small six-year-old on his furry heels. Hogwarts students and guests to the school were giving those seats a wide berth, hoping to avoid a creature that looked so much like an omen of death. The students could see that Remus was fighting his own amusement with the situation; while he was an educator, he had spent some of his happiest years with the man turned dog. For Sirius and Remus to be that carefree considering their past was somewhat of a miracle.

“Oh, come on, you mut,” Severus somehow managed to growl and sigh in exasperation at the same time, “must you always make a spectacle of yourself? Do you even know the meaning of dignity?”

“He knows the definition,” Narcissa sighed, “if he didn’t, he wouldn’t take such great pleasure in being undignified.”

The grim paused in his game of chase to look at his cousin, his tongue lolling outside in a doggie grin. A moment later, Sirius Black the man stood there in his worn jeans and t-shirt. “I will have you know; I believe the wizarding world would be better off if we were a little less dignified.” He scooped Brendan into his arms as the young boy ran by, “We would be a lot more relaxed if we were.”

“Sit down you idiot,” Remus chuckled, “and tell me about this date I’ve heard so much about.”

The teens and adults froze, their attention slowly coming to complete focus on the man in question. 

“Did Sir Moony say date?” Fred asked while throwing an arm around Sirius’s shoulder.

“He did,” George agreed, Nicole at his side nodding.

“You’ve been holding out on us, Padfoot,” Fay mock glared at the man, who appeared to be blushing. “Talk.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” he passed Brendan to his father and slid into the seat next to Remus, pointedly avoiding Fay and the twins and glaring at his best friend. “We should all sit; this thing is going to start any minute.”

Fay opened her mouth to argue but Ilya put his hand over her mouth while pulling her down to the seat beside him, Hermione dropping down on her other side. 

“I suggest you all look to the judges stand,” Hermione nodded toward the special box, “It appears that one of our normal judges is missing.”

The group looked to the judges to see Ludo Bagman stepping forward his wand at his throat to amplify his voice. Behind him, the three headmasters stood with Percy Weasley, not Crouch. Percy looked just a little green. 

“Good afternoon witches and wizards,” Bagman declared, “and welcome to the sixth task of the Triwizard tournament. As I am sure many of you have guessed, today our contestants will brave the bitter cold inside this giant snow globe. I am proud to announce that all of the contestants guessed correctly about the field of competition despite the fact that we only gave them one clue. All four champions showed up today fully kitted out in some very warm clothes meant for snow storms so there is no need for anyone to worry that they will freeze to death,” the man chuckled under his breath. 

“They will have to collect four keys while making their way up the mountain in the middle of a blizzard.” He let that sink in, nodding as though he knew what the audience was thinking. “Each key will have to be found in order because they will open doors blocking their way up the mountain. To add a challenge, each contestant will only be allowed to cast warming charms, levitation spells, Lumos, Incendios, Accios and Bombardas. They will be allowed one additional curse or spell of their repertoire, but it must be found in the standard book of spells series. Any spell outside those will be a deduction to their final score. All spells must be cast vocally so that everyone is assured that the contestants are following the spell rules of this event. Additionally, it was decided that Mr. Potter would have to stick to regularly worded spells, no Parseltongue so that we know he doesn’t cast more than the allotted seven. Miss Delacour and Mister Potter will also not be allowed to transform into their other forms so no Veela avian form or Griffin animagus for us today. 

“Each contestant will start at a different point in the globe. Mister Krum will start at the North side, Mister Diggory at the East, Miss Delacour at the South, and Mister Potter to the West; their paths will eventually cross when they go inside the mountain, which means that they may see each other toward the end of the task. As always, thanks to Lord Black, each contestant will be monitored by mirror so that we can check in with them more easily on the screens around the stadium.” Ludo looked around, “Like all the other tasks, they will be scored out of a total fifty points. Each judge can award up to 10 points and will be looking at how quickly they complete the course and what spells they choose. On a side note, Mister Crouch is ill and was not able to make it today. Young Percy Weasley, from the Department of International Cooperation is filling in as he is most familiar with the tournament and our scoring methods.”

Percy gulped visibly before waving with a tentative smile.

“We are all sure he will do just fine.” Bagman boomed, pulling attention back to him. “If you bring your attention to the screens, you will see that each competitor is standing at their entrance to the globe. They will have an hour and thirty minutes to finish this task” 

Harry’s family had lucked out; they were sitting in the section directly behind where he was supposed to start. Hermione got to her feet and rushed to the railing, looking down at her boyfriend. As if he sensed her, he turned and smiled. The brunette blew him a kiss, causing him to grin even harder before waving and sending his own air kiss to her. 

“Ladies, Gentleman, Champions,” Bagman twirled, arms spread, “Let the sixth task begin!”

Four entrances to the snow globe opened and the four champions walked cautiously into the swirling winds of a blizzard.

…

One hour remaining:

Aimee Beaucourt was enjoying her time at Hogwarts. She had embraced the idea of international magical cooperation. While many of her friends and teammates had come for the competition, she wanted to make friends, something she may not have thought of doing if she had not gone to the world cup that summer. When on the quidditch field, Aimee was competitive, but she knew that competition should remain on the pitch because you never know when you would need friends off the pitch. She had hated losing so obviously to Harry and Viktor but would still admire them for their skill as seekers; at least she and Draco had been more evenly matched. 

Proof of her resolve to make friends was the man sitting next to her. Aleksander Todor was now her boyfriend. They may have met at the World Cup under some horrible circumstances, but they had looked past the darkness of their meeting to the underlying people they truly were.

Aimee and Alek had been sitting together at each of the Triwizard tasks, switching which section they sat in each time. This time, they were sitting with her Beauxbatons classmates. 

“Is your friend going to be alright?” Alek asked, squeezing her hand.

“I’m not sure,” Aimee leaned into him. “Fleur isn’t used to this kind of cold. None of us are actually. Being here at Christmas was quite the shock for most of us. I had only ever seen a dusting of snow on the ground before coming here. Fleur is much the same.” She shivered at the memory of the cold, “to make matters worse, she is a creature of fire. While this won’t be quite as bad as the lake, it won’t be easy for her.”

Alek glanced at the screen showing Fleur and she was once again casting a warming charm on herself despite casting one only about five minutes before and the copious layers she was wearing. Fleur was the only champion who had not found the first key. 

Harry had found his first, lucking out in choosing the right direction and using the levitation spell cleverly to levitate a boulder so he could climb onto it to reach the ledge the key was on. The key was spelled to not respond to summoning. Viktor had found his key next. He had used low powered Bombardas to make hand holds in a wall to reach his own key. Cedric had used the Avis spell to make birds and then had them push the key into his waiting hands. None of those three had cast the warming charm more than three times since the beginning of the event; Fleur had cast it at least a dozen times.

“Surely they wouldn’t let her freeze,” Alek wrapped his arm around Aimee, trying to be reassuring but thinking that there was no way Fleur would do well in this event, especially because she was not allowed to transform. 

“You’re right, but she will be very disappointed in herself for doing so poorly. Not to mention she will be embarrassed for doing poorly in front of the eldest Weasley boy.” Everyone knew that Fleur had a gigantic crush on Bill Weasley. Her girlfriends could not blame her; he was a very attractive man.

On the screen, Fleur had just found her first key. Aimee watched as she cast a very large Incendio, probably for the heat more than anything. Luckily, that Incendio melted some of the snow above the key, causing water to run down the cliff wall and push the key over the lip and into the snow at her feet. 

Fleur Delacour picked up the key with trembling fingers and made her way back to the door she had found ten minutes before, clearly wishing the task was over so she could get warm.

Forty-five minutes remaining:

The Hufflepuffs in the crowd cheered loudly as Cedric opened the second door. While Cedric was clearly in third place in this task, he wasn’t far behind Viktor or Harry so there was hope he would come out on top. 

Cho was sitting with Cedric’s closest friends as she was once again fighting with Marietta. Tamsin Applebee and Herbert Fleet had been skeptical of her relationship with Cedric, but they had slowly started to accept her.

“He’s going to be alright, isn’t he?” Cho frowned, seeing him shiver and cast another warming charm.

Tamsin smiled at her while Herbert laughed. “Ced is indestructible,” the keeper boomed, throwing his hands in the air. “Go Ced!”

“We live in Scotland during the worst of winter, Cho,” Tamsin gave her a side hug. “He is going to be fine. Especially if you compare him to the French girl. She is struggling.”

The Chinese girl nodded slowly, “True, but I don’t want him to get hurt.”

“None of us do, girly,” Fleet grinned, taking a bite of a chocolate frog. “But we know what Ced is capable of. Did you see how he used those birds? I was worried when he picked his spell so early on, but they have been bloody useful.” Cedric had used the birds again, this time using them to carry the second key across a chasm to the keyhole. Once the key was in place, a bridge had appeared at the same time the door opened. “Harry used a feather light charm on himself to walk across levitated boulders he had made by blasting larger boulders into smaller, more manageable pieces. Brilliant for sure, but it took more time than getting a bird to do the work for you.”

“Not to mention Krum,” Tamsin agreed, “He used a blasting hex to break off a piece of the mountain. His makeshift bridge started to slide into the chasm while he was still on it. He almost went down with it!” Viktor had run along the stone bridge he made and jumped at the last second, only just managing to catch himself on the opposite ledge. There had been a great many fearful gasps when he had nearly fallen into the chasm.

“His plan really was the safest, wasn’t it,” Cho smiled slightly. “Harry is doing really well too.”

“Can’t argue with that.” Herbert was grudgingly proud of the fourth year. He still wanted Cedric to win but he would settle for Potter if he had to.

“Potter is awesome,” Tamsin grinned. “I can cheer for him because we’re on the same team this year,” she stuck her tongue out at Fleet. 

This caused the keeper to push her head away with a fake scowl. “Traitor!”

“Loser!”

Cho shook her head as the pair exchanged insults. Cedric really did have fun friends. It was nice not to constantly judge people.

Thirty Minutes remaining:

Mikhail Markov was enjoying himself immensely. Life had become so much less stressful after his brother was found and healed. It didn’t matter to him that Dmitri didn’t have magic, as long as he was alive. Now, he could watch and enjoy his friends competing in the various tournaments held at Hogwarts to celebrate international magical cooperation. 

Their Dragons quidditch team was so far undefeated, with their only real potential competition being the Hogwarts Griffins. It seemed in this tournament that the seeker really did make all the difference. Viktor and Harry Potter far outclassed the other seekers, though Aimee Beaucourt and Draco Malfoy had serious potential. His other best friend, Alek was also on the Dragons team but as a chaser. 

While most would not enjoy watching the academic competition, Mik had. It hadn’t surprised him that Beauxbatons was the best there, what had surprised him was how good Hogwarts was at Potions and Runes; they had won those hands down. It had saddened him slightly that Hogwarts had also squeaked out a victory in Care of Magical Creatures as well, but the gap had been much smaller in that event. It would be interesting to see who would win in the Herbology competition the first weekend of June. Rumor was that the strongest competitor for Hogwarts was only fourteen; if the boy was anything like Potter, Mikhail was sure that Hogwarts would come out on top for that event as well.

Durmstrang’s true strength was on the dueling stage, which was why their headmaster had suggested it as a task for this year. Mikhail had managed to get on the team and had done alright. He had only had one duel at this point, this being against a Hogwarts boy and Mik had won his match. The true triumph of their team was Ilya. The boy was beautiful to watch. He just wished his school had designed the dueling tournament with more matches. At least they had decided to add an individual competition to name the top duelist of all the participants the day after the last team competition.

Mikhail turned his attention back to the snow globe; Vik was doing fine. When Viktor had discussed the possibility of a snowy field of play, he had been excited. Viktor Krum loved being out in the snow. The professional seeker was often out walking during snowstorms or making plans to go mountain climbing during the heart of winter. This was his element. 

The cold did not bother the strong men and women of Durmstrang.

Vik’s only problem was that he was not the most creative individual in the world. When he learned a spell, he knew what it was designed for and rarely understood why people thought about how else a spell could be used. The fact that they limited him to a handful of different spells meant Viktor would struggle with that portion of the event. Mik had not been surprised when Bagman announced that he had used an extra spell and would get a deduction for it. 

The choice of Aguamenti to melt ice off a key stuck in a frozen waterfall was brilliant, but then Vik had also conjured a rope to use to help him scale a wall. 

Diggory had been forced to melt the ice around his own key with an Incendio and used the ice pick they were given during the second task to help him climb the wall. Potter’s choice of a feather light charm proved to be brilliant. He made himself light again when he needed to climb the wall after using a Bombarda to break the key out of the ice and placing it in his pocket while he climbed. Eventually the boy had used Incendio to melt the excess ice.

As for Fleur, she had just arrived at the chasm, nearing her second door. She had used the levitation spell to float the key to the other side, much like Cedric had with the birds. The blonde was far behind the others and clearly struggling with the cold. 

Fifteen minutes remaining:

George Weasley grinned from ear to ear. Fred, who was beside him as always, was jumping up and down, screaming at the top of his lungs. Harry Potter was doing them proud. It took a prankster to really excel at creative spell use. 

“He’s doing brilliantly,” Nicole bounced in her seat next to him. “Who would have thought to use a feather light charm on themselves? It definitely makes climbing easier because he doesn’t have to pull up his body weight and he also didn’t have to fight his weight when he was levitating those stones to make a bridge.”

Harry was closing in on the final key. The designers had decided to show the audience just where the keys were before the contestants found them. This portion of the course was inside the mountain. Harry, like Viktor and Cedric, was using Lumos to light his way. It was the obvious choice considering it was one of the spells they were allowed to use. Unlike the older students, Harry had been altering how much magic he put into the spell to increase and decrease the amount of light he projected. He would periodically flare his magic and the spell allowing him to see farther ahead in case there was something he needed to know about. Viktor had almost fallen in a hole because he wasn’t paying enough attention to the darkness at his feet.

“I am so proud of him,” George grinned. “We duel fairly often, and the professors have been pushing us to think about creative ways to use spells in duels. Apparently, Harry has been applying that to this sort of stuff too.”

“I get the impression that boy would beat me in a duel,” she leaned her head against his shoulder.

“He beats me half the time,” George smiled and glanced at his twin, “Fred only wins when he does something really crazy.”

“Do you think it’s the training or is he just that talented?”

Had Nicole’s head not been on his shoulder he would have shrugged, “A little bit of both, maybe? Harry has always been a quick practical learner and powerful. How many thirteen-year-olds do you know that can produce a corporeal Patronus when facing live Dementors? But a good portion of it has to be the training. He decided after second year that he had to be prepared; it seemed like every year something attacked him and if he was going to survive, he had to be ready.”

“He didn’t feel ready before?”

George shook his head, “Harry said he just got lucky before. As much as I love him, my little brother is not a good student. Ron does the minimum to get by and Harry was afraid of losing a friend by doing well in school because Ron gets jealous. So he was doing the same.” 

The crowd around them cheered as Harry slid the final key into the lock, opening the wall before him. He had tried to Accio the key but once again it was spelled against summoning like all the others. The youngest contestant had tilted his head in thought and then made himself feather light again before performing an Accio on the wall behind the key. Instead of the wall being pulled toward him, he was pulled toward the wall. Unfortunately, he wasn’t quite quick enough to prevent himself from hitting the wall, face first. Luckily, his arms had been pushed slightly behind him as the force of the spell pulled him toward the wall, meaning his wand remained unbroken. 

“I really wish I had that kid’s brain,” Fred sighed at George’s side. He couldn’t help but agree.

Twelve minutes remaining:

Harry performed a quick warming charm on himself as he stepped back into the blizzard. Though the snow was falling in thick blankets, he could still see what had to be the finish line. Up the slope, he could see a flag. It could only be a flag because he could see it flapping violently in the swirling winds. 

He had no idea what in place he was currently placed, but he felt good about his performance. Harry had tried to channel the twins in this task; creative and sneaky. He thought he had done rather well with that. Beyond that, he simply kept moving. 

Despite the freezing cold, Harry kept pushing himself to move forward. The sooner he got to the end, the sooner he could get out of this cold and get warm. It really was irritating that they put them in a blizzard in May.

It was feet away. He stumbled, almost falling face first into the knee-deep snow but caught himself. 

With a final lunge, Harry grabbed the small Gryffindor flag that was flapping beneath the large flag sporting all house crests. He looked up just as the portkey activated and saw Viktor surge onto the plateau.

Harry Potter grinned; he knew had beaten at least one of his competitors.

Ten minutes remaining:

Viktor breathed in deeply as he stepped back out into the snow. Despite the low visibility and the biting cold, he was enjoying himself. He knew he had screwed up already, having cast two extra spells instead of one, but he would live with it. At this point he didn’t really care. This tournament was not what they had claimed it would be. The danger was worse, and the security was lacking.

He was too young to die and too young to lose his career to an injury not caused by a Bludger or diving face first into the ground below the playing field.

Ahead, he could see a flag. He had made it to the end of the task, and he had managed to avoid injury. Pushing his legs through the thick blanket of snow, he mounted the peak. His eyes fell first on the flag and then on Harry Potter, just as he was port keyed out of the arena. With a rueful smile, he looked at the three remaining small flags; he would have to live with second place this time.

Four minutes remaining:

Cedric swore under his breath as he slogged through the snow toward the peak. He really wished the end of the task had been inside the mountain, not out in the elements. He may live in Scotland in January but that didn’t mean he liked to bury himself in feet of snow.

Glancing down at his watch, he realized that time was almost up. He had lost quite a bit of time in the caverns, part of that was intentional. It was so much warmer when there was no snow or wind. Cedric had berated himself for not casting an impervious spell on his clothes before the task began, it really would have helped keep him warm if his clothes hadn’t become soaked through. He had a feeling that Harry and Viktor had not forgotten to protect themselves before they were monitored. 

Luckily, he had long legs, so he was able to push through the deep banks of snow as he made his way to the end of the task. Seeing two of the four small flags gone made him sigh, third place really did seem to be his position in this tournament. It was rather embarrassing to continually lose to a fourteen-year-old wizard, even if he was Harry Potter.

Thirty seconds remaining:

Fleur smiled to herself as she sat against the wall inside the mountain course. It may be pathetic, but she had decided she would rather be warm than go back outside. She had succeeded in finding and collecting all four keys, but she refused to go back out into the cold if she could sit here and warm her hands by the fire. She would take the loss gracefully. 

As a Veela, she was a creature of fire and air. She did not do well with water or with cold. This task was her ultimate enemy. The cold had immediately seeped into her bones and she was shivering violently in seconds despite warming charms. Her extra spell had been an impervious spell for her clothes, which she really should have cast before she got to the tent today; she had known they would be in the snow just like the boys. It made her wonder if anyone else had forgotten that simple protection.

As the final second of the task ticked by, Fleur was port keyed out. She was warmer than she would have been if she had walked back into the snow and that was all she cared about at the moment.

**Room of Requirement**

There were some who would say that Harry should have been with his house, celebrating his win in the sixth task of the Triwizard tournament. Many more would think it strange that he was not even remotely thinking about the fact that he had slid solidly into first place as they went into the final task due to the fact that he finished before Viktor that afternoon. 

A part of him was proud of himself. He had received perfect scores from Percy and Bagman, a nine from Dumbledore and Maxim, and Karkaroff had awarded him an eight while scowling as he had been forced to award his own champion a seven. Despite finishing only moments after Harry, Viktor had scored only one point higher than Cedric because of the spell violation. This penalty had moved him from being first overall to trailing four points behind Harry. Cedric ended up ten points behind Viktor and twenty-three above Fleur. 

The older champions had been forced to face their own disadvantages once again. Age did not mean they were better. Viktor knew he had done well in part because of Karkaroff scoring him slightly above what he should have. His other saving grace was he remained consistent. In the sixth task, he thought his comfort in extreme cold would allow him to finish well ahead of anyone else so that his extra spell would not matter; he knew he should not have underestimated Harry Potter. Cedric had not underestimated his younger competition; Harry had done too much in his young life for Cedric to fall into that trap. He had, however, not performed to his own skill level and had realized he did not perform well under pressure. The French witch had been forced to concede to herself that she had overestimated herself with this tournament. She knew she could have done better in almost all of the events but had relied too much on the fact that she had never really had to try before to be the best.

Harry was just glad that he had not embarrassed himself in this tournament. He knew he had trained hard, but he had never once assumed that this training would put him at the same level as his fellow competitors. The fact that he was in first position was not what he focused on, he focused on his own performance. It was obvious to him that a few aspects of the tournament had been designed to aid him in scoring well, but he was also rather proud of how he dealt with each challenge. Harry was much more concerned with his ability to survive whoever wanted him in this tournament in the first place.

It was for this reason that he was not partying with the rowdy Lions. Before the sixth task, Sirius and Narcissa had sat him down to discuss an idea they had concerning the destruction of Tom Riddle in all his forms. They thought that the best way to do that was to teach him a certain spell but before they could do that, they needed to make him more of a Black.

Harry and Sirius stood in the center of the room, facing each other. Around them, spaced equidistant, were Remus, Aria, Narcissa, Severus and Headmaster Dumbledore. Sirius had painted the floor with a circle of runes and each of the five around the circle stood at a certain point. As with many ceremonies or rituals, the natural elements were important. In this case, the fifth element was the soul or heart. The headmaster stood there. Aria stood at water for her unwavering calm, Remus at earth for his continual stability. Severus was the fire, fierce and deadly; Narcissa the air, free and mysterious. 

Today, he would officially be recognized as Sirius’s godson. The paperwork had been filed long ago but magic had never accepted it because there had never been an opportunity to perform the ceremony before their lives were all but destroyed.

For the first time in a long time, none of his friends were there with him. This was something that should not be shared. If anyone were to watch, it would have been his parents, but for obvious reasons that was not possible for him.

“You ready pup?”

Harry nodded, “more than ready.”

“Do you remember the words?”

“Couldn’t forget them if I wanted to.” The ceremony was different for children older than the age of five. Normally it was the parents and potential godparent who did all the talking. When the child was old enough to speak, the parents’ part of the ceremony was transferred to the child. Somehow, magic decided that at some point a kid was old enough to have a say in who would be a part of their life if their parents were gone.

“Are you ready boys?” Albus asked quietly. When both nodded, he raised his arms, “then we will begin. If you would all take your places.” 

As a group, the witnesses took their positions on the elemental runes written into the circle. When Albus stepped onto the rune representing heart, the circle began to glow with a soft, silvery light. “We gather today, guided by the elements of life, to join this child with his godfather.

“A godfather’s role is to protect, teach, guide and love a child. To act as the child’s hearth, home, and shield.” The rune for earth at Remus’s feet flashed with increased intensity. “To guide, instruct, and cleanse.” The water rune brightened underneath Aria. “To train, aid, and avenge.” Severus’s rune of fire flashed next. “To soothe, listen, and defend.” The rune for air glowed illuminating the gentle smile on Narcissa’s face. “A godfather’s job is to love, unconditionally.” The rune for heart flashed and then all the elemental points flashed as one.

“Sirius Black, before you stands a child in need, will you perform the duties of a godfather for him?”

“My knowledge for him, my magic is his, my life for his, my love forever his,” Sirius spoke quietly but with conviction. 

“Harry Potter, do you accept his gifts?”

“I accept his knowledge, magic and love with open arms. May the need for his life never come.” That he felt to the very bottom of his soul.

“Witnesses, do you believe his promises?”

Somehow, all four answered as one, “His words are true, proven in action and heart.”

“Sirius Black, what is your vow?”

“I, Sirius Black, Head of the Ancient and most Noble House of Black, do hereby swear on my life and magic to protect Harry Potter to the best of my ability as godfather. To raise him, teach him, listen to him, and love him as if he were my own child from this day and every day that follows, so mote it be.”

As the last word left Sirius’s mouth, the circle and the two within were bathed in silver-white light. The light was so intense that none of them could see inches in front of them, let alone the pair they were there to join magically as family. 

Slowly, the light faded from the circle in, until only a soft glow remained around Harry and Sirius. “Magic has accepted your vow,” Albus continued quietly, “you are now, and forevermore, the godfather of Harry James Potter.”

“So mote it be,” all seven said as one, closing the ceremony and allowing the magic swirling around them to dissipate. 

“I love you, pup,” Sirius whispered into Harry’s hair as he pulled him into a tight hug.

“I love you too, Siri,” Harry managed to whisper as he burrowed into his godfather, overwhelmed by the warmth he felt both from the lingering magic and the absolute proof that he was loved unconditionally by his godfather. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, we are officially caught up with what is completed and posted on FFN. I will say that chapter 43 is basically written, 44 is well on its way to being finished and I have portions of 41 and 42 written. 
> 
> I hope to have this finished by the end of the year but knowing me, that might not happen in the time frame I want. That being said, I did not get the promotion I was up for so I will be bored at work (I lost it to an outside candidate) so I might just have the time needed to get this done. 
> 
> Oh, and no I am not watching a tone of Disney +, I grew up with those cartoons and did a little research as well.


	41. The One We’ve Been Waiting For

**Gryffindor Common Room**

Harry collapsed onto the couch closest to the hearth and slumped to his side, head falling on Hermione’s lap. It had been a very long day.

Life at Hogwarts was never dull and this year was crazier than most. For that to be true of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger was quite a feat. While the tournament was fun and entertaining, it also meant that every weekend was jam packed with something. Saturdays were almost exclusively dedicated to some tournament event while Sundays were for leftover homework, dueling practice, academic tournament research or quidditch practices. Harry’s family were also adding animagus training, and battle magics. OWL testing would begin the very next week, NEWT testing would be the week after. All other students would have their end of year exams the week before the final task, so Hermione had them all reviewing constantly. 

To make matters worse, the final quidditch match of the season was two days away and Oliver Wood was the coach of his team. Harry, Fred and George were mostly used to Oliver’s obsessive, pre-final match insanity, the rest of their teammates were not. Despite knowing it was coming, Oli had still managed to physically and mentally exhaust Harry and the twins. The only bright side was that the team had never played better than they had during their final practice of the season; hopefully they would be ready to face Viktor Krum and the Dragons.

“One of these days, Oli is going to kill me,” Harry grumbled. He didn’t really want to move as he had been hit by one too many Bludgers. While he had put bruise salve on the welts before leaving the locker room, they were still tender. 

“That bad?” Hermione asked while carding her fingers through his messy hair.

“Worse,” Fred moaned as he gingerly lowered himself to the floor.

“I never want to do another sit up again,” George slid into one of the empty chairs. “Who thought it was a good idea to let Oli be a coach? I need to prank them for at least a year.”

“Do you really think that is a good idea?” Hermione wondered. “It was probably Professor McGonagall. No one loves quidditch as much as she does and she was rather fond of Oliver Wood because of his skill and how good the Gryffindor team was under his direction. While Oli is crazy, his methods did produce favorable results.” 

George frowned, “Fine, I won’t prank McGonagall but I will be pranking someone. Maybe we can come up with a line of mail-based pranks,” he looked thoughtful. “It could be interesting, but not nearly as funny because the sender wouldn’t be there.”

Nicole bumped his shoulder and then squeezed herself onto the chair with him, “I think you should leave the plotting for when you aren’t quite so tired and sore,” she kissed his cheek. “Let’s not have a repeat of the potion fiasco right after your birthday.”

Fred moaned again, that had not been a good day. He and George hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep on their birthday, mostly because they were so excited by the utter success of their Macarena birthday dance success. Sometime around three in the morning, with no sleep at all, they had this brilliant idea to make joke candy that exploded in your mouth. They hadn’t really thought it out and had ended up blowing up the potion when they went to stir it. Both had ended up with green skin and purple spots all over their bodies. The electric pink hair had added another layer of ridiculous to the incident. They had been like that for three days because madam Pomfrey had refused to fix their mistake as it was not life threatening and it was their own fault. She had told them that if they couldn’t figure it out in a week to come back and she would reverse it; luckily, Nicole had taken pity on them and helped them brew the counter potion on the third day

“Fine,” George sighed. “I will think of revenge pranks after the game and after I sleep for three days straight.”

“It’s cute you think you will get that much rest before the end of the school year, but I will let you keep your delusions for now.”

“Your girlfriend is mean, Georgie.”

“I thought that was your girlfriend, Freddie boy.”

“I think you should both shut up before said girlfriends hex one or both of you,” Hermione suggested. 

Harry yawned loudly, “I am going to agree, without really knowing what is going on, in the hopes that you all will start talking quieter so I can try to fall asleep right here.” He pulled off his glasses, passed them to Hermione and burrowed his way into the couch and his girlfriend’s lap. 

“Not yet, Love,” Hermione set his glasses aside, “How is training going with Sirius and Aunt Cissy?”

He looked up in the general direction of his girlfriend, even if he couldn’t really see her clearly, “I think it’s going well. Sirius is really focused on making sure we understand the consequences if we perform the spell for less than pure reasons. There is something he is hesitant to tell us and it is making Draco and I nervous. The wand movements are easy enough, it’s the emotion behind the casting that really makes it possible.”

“Have you cast it yet?”

Harry shook his head slightly, “That’s the thing, this isn’t a spell you can practice. You can practice the wand movements, you can discuss the emotions needed, you can talk about acceptable reasons for casting, and you can practice to ensure two or more Blacks perform the movements at the same time, completely in sync, but you can’t cast it because that would bring about consequences. Sirius has actually never cast the spell himself.”

“You mean the first time Narcissa and Andromeda cast that spell was that day in Diagon Alley?” Neville spoke for the first time since Harry and the twins joined them.

“Yeah, as far as they are aware, no one had actually cast it in over a hundred years before that day.” Harry sat up and reached for his glasses so he could see his friends. “It was decided after the last failed attempt that it would only be taught to some of the family, not all. The only real condition considered was the ability to determine right from wrong based on the laws of life and magic. In Sirius’s generation, three of five children were taught the spell but in their parent’s generation only one child of house Black was taught the spell and that was Sirius’s uncle Alphard, who most thought was a bit of a black sheep, which got him blasted off the family tree by Sirius’s mother.”

“Is anyone else immensely relieved that Bellatrix Lestrange never learned the spell?” Neville asked.

Harry nodded, “It’s a good thing but mostly because it meant that magic couldn’t take her need for revenge out on the family. I get the impression it isn’t just the caster that suffers when they cast for ill intent, it’s the whole family in one way or another.”

“It would make sense,” Hermione agreed. “Magic would have to have a failsafe against using the spell for personal gain. It would not want one family to gain too much power to the point of world domination.” She grabbed Harry’s hand, “Do you think you can cast it when the time comes?”

Harry frowned, “If I have enough time, yes. It isn’t difficult if you feel justified and, in this case, I think I am. Tom Riddle is an enemy of life and magic as well as my enemy. The only problem is, it takes time to cast and you need a clear path between you and the one you intend to hit. While casting, we will be sitting ducks.”

“So, if the time comes, we will have to give you time.” Fred lifted his head off the floor to look at everyone around them. “You won’t be alone, not if the professors and the Blacks can help it, so we will come up with a signal that lets all of us know that you or one of the others is going to try to cast Atonement. When that happens, we will all rally around the casters and protect them so they can get the spell off without dying in the process.”

“I’m in,” Neville agreed. “While he may not have cast the curses himself, he is the reason my parents don’t recognize me.”

“His followers killed our uncles,” George nodded, “and that made our mom just a bit crazy.”

“We all have a reason to fight,” Harry sighed, “I wish we didn’t have to, but I will take all the help I can get as long as you all promise to be careful.”

“Same to you, mate,” Fred threw a pillow at him. “If I have to be careful, so do you.”

“We will all be careful and if we can, we let the adults handle it,” Hermione swept her gaze over the other Gryffindors in the group. “We are facing fully trained wizards who aren’t afraid to kill anyone who stands in their way. Our training may keep us alive longer than most our age but that does not mean we are ready for the likes of Tom Riddle or Tiberius Nott.”

“We do what we can, and stay alive,” Neville agreed.

“The best defense is to not be there,” Harry added. 

“GET TO BED!!!” Oliver Wood boomed from the entrance to the common room.

“Who told him the password?” George asked with a moan.

“I’m guessing Professor McGonagall,” Harry gulped, seeing the overzealous coach storm over to them. 

“Your final game is tomorrow and you need a good night’s sleep.” Oliver pulled Harry to his feet and started marching him toward his dorm.

“But dinner doesn’t start for an hour,” Fred whined, still laying on the floor.

“If you want to eat, have a house elf deliver it to you, in bed. I want lights out for you three in an hour, no later.”

“Are you harassing our teammates who are in different houses too?” George grumbled as his girlfriend started helping Oliver herd them to their dorms. “Why are you helping him?”

Nicole snickered, “Because it’s funny.”

“Yes,” Oli grinned. “Marcus let me into the snake pit first, our alternates were already eating a meal before heading to bed. Strange common room. The green is just creepy.” He shook his head, “The puffs didn’t like it but they followed directions, and the claws saw my logic and agreed readily. Now off to bed!”

“They probably just agreed so you wouldn’t march them up to bed,” Harry grumbled. When he reached the bottom of the stairs to his dorm he paused and looked over his shoulder, “I guess this is goodnight, Hermione.”

“Good night, Harry. You needed the rest anyway.” Hermione shook her head as he disappeared, Oliver right behind him. She really did miss having the quidditch fanatic around, he lightened the mood in the most entertaining ways.

**Quidditch Pitch**

“This is it,” Oliver Wood began, his eyes surveying his team. Though they weren’t all lions, he thought they were the best Hogwarts team he had ever seen. “This is the game we’ve been waiting for.” He ignored the smirking looks Fred, George, and Harry were exchanging. He should probably change his pregame speech in the future.

“You are the best team Hogwarts has to offer and you have proven that so far by being undefeated in this tournament. Today, you face your greatest opponent, the equally undefeated Durmstrang Dragons. The Dragons are a different kind of challenge. They are big, they are fierce, and they play just a little bit dirty.” He saw some of them gulp. The Dragons may not be the well-oiled perfection that this team was but they played rough. This team wasn’t used to that. “But just because they play like the Slytherin teams from when I played here, doesn’t mean you can’t beat them. We have something they don’t.”

“Harry Potter?” Cho wondered with a cheeky grin.

“Pretty sure they aren’t that worried about me; they have Viktor Krum.”

Oliver shook his head, smiling, “Harry is right, unfortunately. He may be the youngest seeker in a century, but Viktor Krum is the youngest professional seeker to make it to the quidditch World Cup in nearly three centuries. No, what you have is heart.” He looked at his team, one by one, “Hogwarts can be divided but you have worked past that. You come from all four houses and I know you would fight for each other, not with each other. Harry and Theo aren’t going to hex each other on the pitch or in the halls anymore. Roger and the twins aren’t going to scream at each other. Malcom and Grant aren’t glaring at each other and Micah isn’t trying to hex anyone who isn’t a pureblood.” 

And it was true. There were eleven of them with the alternates. Two puffs, three claws, three snakes, and three lions and not one hex had been cast between them. The team also wasn’t sitting by house, they were all mixed together. Cho sat next to Tamsin; Harry next to Theo. Roger Davis sat next to Malcolm and Fred while Micah sat next to George. His keepers, Grant and Miles sat on the other side of Harry. 

“We are a team no matter our houses, and it doesn’t matter if we win or lose, we will do that as a team. I don’t know if we can win, but I know we have a chance. I know that Grant is a better keeper than that guy on the Dragons, can’t remember his name. Don’t tell Harry’s girlfriend because I don’t want another lecture about learning names.” That got a chuckle out of the whole team, “Our chaser line has better plays and are better fliers, you just have to watch out for them to get physical.”

“And we all know that no one can outmaneuver the twins,” Micah, the alternate beater added, “I’ve tried many times.”

Oli grinned again, “Even Marcus Flint would agree with that, the only reason that we have them is that he refused to work with them.”

“Hey,” Fred gasped in mock affront.

“How dare he,” George sniffed as though about to cry. “We are perfect angels.”

“When you're asleep,” Tamsin stage winked.

Harry shook his head, “No, they have never been angels, they can prank in their sleep.”

Before anyone could ask about that statement, Oli started up again, “The point is, Marcus gave up the best beater team I have ever seen because he didn’t understand their value or how to work with them. I think we lucked out, don’t you?”

It was clear they all agreed. “Lastly, we have Harry Potter. Like I said, he is the youngest seeker in a century. He has never lost a game he’s played in; he even caught the snitch when he got hit by lightning.” Oliver looked at Harry, “Seriously, kid, when I said get the snitch or die trying, I didn’t really mean you should try to kill yourself!” Some of the others snickered while Harry just grinned at him cheekily. “He has flown against Krum before, not in a game, but it means that he knows what it feels like to fly against the living legend.”

Oliver looked down at his watch, the game was going to begin in a few minutes. “Make me proud out there. I don’t care if you win or lose,” he scanned all of their faces, “but seriously, it would be wicked if you beat VIKTOR KRUM!!”

“I feel the need to warn you,” George cleared his throat, “that if you tell Harry to catch the snitch or die trying again then Hermione will murder you.”

“I wasn’t going to say that,” the former Gryffindor grumbled, looking more than a little guilty. 

“We need you on the field, Mister Wood,” Madam Hooch stuck her head into the room. “I will come back for the team in a few minutes.”

Oliver nodded and stood, “Good luck, Griffins. Play your hearts out today.”

Roger stood, taking Oliver’s place. Harry also stood, taking a place just behind him in his position as the assistant captain. “You know the plan,” the Ravenclaw began. “We play our way. We play as a team. We make substitutions as we get tired and to confuse our opponents. The only position we will not substitute for this game is seeker.”

“Sorry, Cho,” Harry gave her a small smile.

“If you had even tried to make me face Krum, I would have hexed you both and then tortured Wood for weeks afterward.”

They all chuckled, “The only way we would put you in the game is if they took Krum out but I doubt they will do that. Rumor is, Krum has been looking forward to this match all year.” 

“I will also not be running as much interference this match,” Harry once again looked apologetic. “I can’t let Viktor get the drop on me so I have to be completely focused on the snitch. If the snitch happens to show up underneath you, I will gladly get in the way of their chasers but don’t count on me helping out too much on that front.”

“You can count on us to be annoying though,” Fred threw his hands up in the air in triumph. “No one is more annoying to chasers than we are.”

“He’s not wrong, but he was supposed to be quiet and let Roger talk.”

“Oops, sorry,” Fred pretended to look contrite at his twin’s comment, “that’s why he’s the smart one, he remembers these things.”

Roger rolled his eyes, “And on that note, grab your brooms. They are going to start announcing the lineups in a minute. Let’s go out there and show the world that we are just as good as Viktor Krum and his team.”

…

The game had been a blur so far. Harry could barely follow what was happening with his team because he was so busy trying to not only keep up with Viktor but to also challenge him. He thought he was doing a decent job so far.

Both exceptional seekers had been feinting, periodically. The only problem was, they were both so intent on the snitch that neither fell for it completely. The first time Viktor dove straight down toward the ground Harry followed but the whole time he wondered if it was a Wronski Feint. He had been right; Viktor had tried to trick him the same way he had tricked the Irish seeker at the world cup. The only difference here, Harry didn’t fall for it. When Harry had pulled up just as smoothly as Viktor, the crowd had gone absolutely crazy. 

The second time Viktor had dived toward the ground Harry knew it was a feint because he had seen a flash of gold flitting around the section of the stands that his family was sitting in. He had just happened to get stuck looking in that direction because his eye had caught sight of Luna’s latest creation. The third year Ravenclaw was always doing something special to show her support for the Hogwarts team that happened to be competing, this time she had made herself a Griffin suit. Her head and arms were dressed as an eagle while her body and legs looked like a lion’s hind quarters, including a tail that moved on its own. It was while he was mesmerized by Luna’s outfit that he noticed the snitch dancing around behind Remus and Aria. While Viktor dove through the field of play, disrupting the current play and drawing everyone’s attention, Harry had flown quickly and yet still casually toward the stands. 

When Viktor pulled out of his dive, Harry pushed his broom to its max speed, laying down on his broom and rocketed toward the snitch that had shifted to the left and was now right over Sirius’s head. Luck was not on Harry’s side. The snitch had instantly fled at top speed, zipping around the stands and flying toward the center of the field where the Griffin chaser line was flying circles around their burlier opponents who, for the most part, liked to rely on brute strength. Harry had managed to stay with the snitch but it remained just out of reach as it flew erratically around the field. 

When Viktor caught up to him, he was reaching for this snitch. Viktor had instantly started reaching for the tiny winged ball, his arms longer so even though his broom was slightly behind Harry’s, their hands were even, just behind the snitch. 

Suddenly, Harry sensed something coming up on him. He took his eyes away from the snitch for a second and saw a Bludger headed directly for him and Viktor. With a jerk and a roll, Harry peeled off to the right while Viktor peeled off to the left mere seconds before a Bludger careened through the spot they would have been in had they continued to follow the snitch. One for the snitch, zero for the seekers.

Harry and Viktor had three other chases for the snitch since and all of them had been interrupted by a Bludger or a chaser getting in the way. 

Aiden Lynch, the volunteer referee for the match, blew his whistle. “Time,” he shouted. “Hogwarts Griffins are requesting a substitution. Alternate chaser Theodore Nott is going to replace Malcom Preece. Durmstrang Dragons are also putting forth substitutions,” he flew over to the Dragon’s young coach, “Alternate keeper Valka Buresh will replace Andrew Volchenkov and alternate beater Sasha Stanislavski will replace Yuri Davidov.” Lynch flew to the center of the field and grinned at the two seekers who were breathing heavily. “Merlin Potter,” he chuckled, “Don’t you dare try out for a team for at least a few years. If you do, there will be no hope for me or any other seeker in the British Isles!”

Harry grinned at him and accepted the water that Cho flew out to him. She handed a second one to Viktor. “I will take that as a compliment. You don’t have to worry though; I won’t be eligible until I’m of age and I want to finish school before I even think about a career.”

“Thank you, Cho,” Viktor nodded to the Chinese girl. He was familiar enough with Cedric’s girlfriend. “I can’t wait for him to join the international leagues,” Viktor grinned viciously, “he is the best competition I have ever faced.”

“That hurts, Viktor,” Lynch scowled, “it's true, but it still hurts.” He looked around and saw that everyone appeared to be in place again. “Time to get off the field, Miss Chang,” he said before flying off to his position above the general field of play. 

Harry took this time to check out the scores and was amazed to see that his team was clearly in the lead. “Wow,” he blinked. 

“Your team is better,” Viktor sighed. “Our coach does not believe in teamwork, only in brute force. He would not listen to me and I am the captain. Some of the team wishes to change how we play but most think that he will get them on the international circuit if they listen to him. I have already told them they must pass trials to make any team so they are trying to win their way with him.” He nodded toward the chaser line, “Alek is furious. He is a skill player. Speed and outmaneuvering his opponents are how he prefers to play, like your chasers, but none of the others will even try to work with him. We have only won so far because he goes rogue and I am a better seeker than the others. Your team deserves to win this overall, but I will not let you win so my team, as bad as it is, may just win after all.”

Harry blinked, he hadn’t really paid too much attention to the other games because tactics change game to game but now, thinking back, he could see what Viktor was talking about. The Dragons had only gone undefeated because of Viktor catching the snitch and Alek pulling off crazy plays on his own. In all honesty, the keepers for the Dragons were the worst in the tournament and they had allowed the highest point totals. 

The Griffins were currently ahead 210 to 70.

The younger seeker nodded, “Our coach loves quidditch too much to rely on just one player. He pushed the team hard, trying to make them as strong or stronger than the professional lines. Plus, when he was at school, he was the captain of the team with the best chaser line the school had. The Gryffindor girls were unstoppable when they were at their best.”

“Your twins don’t hurt either.”

“No, they really don’t.” Harry smirked looking at the twins casually passing both Bludgers back and forth while the two teams got into position so the game could restart. “With the way things are going, we may just end this game the way you ended the world cup.”

Viktor rolled his eyes and scowled, “With the way things are going, I may just lose my first snitch in six years.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I may just lose my first snitch in four years.”

“It does not. I know you have only been playing for four years so that means you have never been beaten to the snitch.”

Instead of answering, Harry grinned broadly. 

“Seekers and beaters to your positions,” Lynch called, his wand pointed at the Bludgers that were now positioned at either end of the pitch. Harry and Viktor took up positions above the chasers, facing each other on either side of center field. “We will begin with another tossing of the Quaffle in three, two, one.”

The teams played for another half hour before another time out was called. One of the Dragon chasers had been hit hard by a Bludger (sent by his own team’s beater) and was being replaced. Oliver decided to give Grant a break and was bringing Miles in to replace him at keeper, in that half hour of play, Grant Page had not let a single Quaffle through the hoops while his opponent had allowed five goals. 

Hogwarts was ahead 260 to 70.

During this break, Harry and Viktor did not chat. Their battles were getting more intense and both were getting tired. Harry had gone off to stretch while Viktor tried to lecture his chasers. Only time would tell if they would listen. 

Lynch surveyed the field, making sure everyone was in position and blew the whistle starting the game once more. 

While their teammates took control of the Quaffle and attempted to score, Harry and Viktor immediately dove toward the ground. The snitch had decided to appear, this time mere inches off the ground. Its appearance was too much of a thrill for any seeker to ignore, let alone two who loved the chase so much. 

Harry and Viktor flew with a grace and efficiency that only birds found effortless. They swooped through the field of play at speeds their teammates were not capable of. Zigging and zagging as the snitch randomly flitted around the stadium. The crowd screamed with enthusiasm seeing the miraculous flying but the seekers did not hear them.

The snitch took a swift left and then instantly switched direction and headed up toward the sky. Harry and Viktor followed; Harry’s turn sharper due to his smaller size giving him a slight edge over his professional opponent. 

It was this edge that allowed Viktor to catch up. The snitch changed direction again, taking a hard left and heading for the Slytherin section of the stands just as Harry was reaching for it, throwing the young man slightly off course. Because of his skill and instinct for the game it did not delay him for long but it did remove any advantage he had over Viktor Krum. When he got back on course, he was nose to nose with the older seeker. 

As it traveled forward, the snitch flited side to side ever so slightly, placing itself in front of one seeker for a moment before sliding in front of the other. Just before it reached the beginning of the stands, the snitch fell into a deep dive, headed straight for the ground once more. Both seekers made the turn expertly, Harry’s back to the audience while Viktor rotated while diving, leaving the seekers facing each other as they chased the elusive golden ball. 

The snitch had no intention of being caught, as Viktor was reaching out with his long arms to grab the winged ball, it made another sharp turn, taking it toward the center of the field. Harry pushed with his feet, making the turn while upside down. Viktor, because he rotated his last turn, pulled hard with his arms so that he was right-side up while following the snitch’s random path. The younger seeker rolled to put himself on top of his broom, all while bumping Viktor as they fought for the direct path for snitch. 

This time, the snitch was oscillating up and down instead of side to side. It would go a foot in either direction at random intervals throwing both seekers off as they tried to reach for the little ball. Taking a chance, Harry fell into a sloth role, dropping his altitude just enough to slide underneath Viktor while reaching out as far as he could. As luck would have it, the snitch chose that moment to zip down away from Viktor’s reach and right into his path. Harry Potter reached out, lying flat on his broom and tried to close his hand around the ball. All he felt was a brush of one frantically beating wing on the tip of his finger before seeing Viktor’s larger hand close securely around the snitch as it jumped out of his reach.

Sound returned to the seekers as Viktor slowed and raised his hand in the air, a true smile gracing his face for once. Harry slowed as well and drew himself even with Viktor looking at the replay of the catch and checking the score. 

“I thought you had me, Harry,” Viktor held out his hand.

Harry took it, “I thought I had you too,” Harry grinned. He turned his attention to the scoreboard again, “I may not have gotten the snitch, but we still won the game.”

Viktor swore. While they had been chasing the snitch for the last few minutes the teams had gone on a score fest. In less than five minutes Hogwarts had scored three additional goals while Durmstrang had scored four. Hogwarts Griffins won the game by twenty. “I am cursed,” he sighed with a shake of his head. “The two biggest games of the season and in both I catch the snitch but lose the game because my team is so far outclassed.”

The two made their way to the platform that had been moved to the center of the field. “Have you ever won a game but lost the snitch?” Harry wondered. “I am kind of disappointed in myself but am happy for my team. Does that make sense?”

“You should be proud of your performance, Harry,” Viktor placed a hand on his shoulder as they landed. “You are the best seeker I have ever faced and you nearly beat me. Had you been a second sooner, the snitch would have been yours. As it is, the only reason I caught it when I did was because you managed to touch the snitch.”

At that moment, the twins landed and jumped on the young seeker. “YOU ALMOST BEAT KRUM!!!” they screamed as one. 

“Yeah he did,” Alek stepped up next to Viktor. “Better be careful, Vik, or the kid is going to dethrone you.”

“He’s already better than I am,” Lynch also landed next to them. “Seriously kid, give me a few more years before you join the league.”

The rest of the players landed on the platform. The Griffins were hugging and celebrating while the majority of the Dragons were standing off to the side sullenly. Alek made a point of going up to the Griffin chaser line and congratulating them on their superior plays. Roger Davis commented on his spectacular flying. 

Bagman landed on the platform next, “Wasn’t that an amazing game?” The former seeker allowed the crowd to show their appreciation. “Let’s hear it for the undefeated Griffins of Hogwarts! Captain Roger Davis was responsible for fourteen of their twenty-nine goals. Reserve, Theo Nott managed five goals in the second half of the game. Malcom Preece ended up with three while Tamsin Applebee had the other seven.” The Hogwarts contingent cheered loudly while the other students clapped politely. “And what about those Weasley twins? I am certainly glad I never had to face them!”

The announcer turned his attention to the seekers, “I will say that I don’t think I have ever seen a more fantastic display from a pair of seekers. I think Harry Potter is perhaps the biggest challenge Viktor Krum has ever faced. If he continues playing, Harry Potter will have a bright future in quidditch. For the second time this year, Mister Krum catches the snitch but does not win the game! Amazing!!” 

Viktor, Alek, Roger and Harry stepped forward as the team captains and assistant captains and shook hands. Oliver and the Bulgarian coach also shook hands though the foreign pro seemed very reluctant and irritated that he had to acknowledge anyone. 

With a flick of his wand, the quidditch cup floated up to the platform and into Bagman’s hands. “It is my honor to give the quidditch cup to your hosting Hogwarts Griffins.” Bagman walked over and put the trophy into Harry’s hand, skipping Roger in the process. Harry smirked, shaking his head, and held the trophy out so that both he and Roger were holding it between them. Together, they raised the cup high as the audience roared.

**Greenhouses**

Harry slid into his seat next to Hermione, trying not to disturb anyone.

“How is he?” Hermione whispered as she took his hand. They were in the newly erected stands surrounding the greenhouses. While the organizers of the main tournament didn’t seem to care about the weather conditions when they planned out events the academic team did. The last two academic competitions were planned to take place outside because of their subject matter so they were placed in the nicest months, May and June. The Care of Magical Creatures event had taken place on May 6th, with no rain. Herbology was the final event and was currently underway. 

Harry shrugged, “Nervous.” The question portion of the event was in progress and Hogwarts was holding their own. None of the teams appeared to have a clear advantage at the moment. Hogwarts and Beauxbatons were tied and Durmstrang was only a few points behind. The true tests would come next. “He seems to think that he is under qualified.”

Hermione scoffed, “Neville Longbottom is perhaps the most qualified person in Hogwarts. If it was allowed, they would have had him participate in all three sections of the event but because only one person was allowed in more than two, they chose him for the identification and care portions.” She shook her head, “Quinn, Samantha and Wendell all agreed that Ashley and Neville were better with plants. Ashley flat out refused to take on the identification portion and for good reason. During practice Neville beat them all every single time. Honestly, the main reason he isn’t in the trivia instead of Quinn is because of his lack of confidence. He does fine with the plants in front of him but tends to freeze with an audience and no plants.”

“I know,” Harry smiled at her. Hermione had been working with Neville almost continuously for the last week to make sure he was ready. For once, it was Hermione who demanded they stop because they had been at it too long. If Neville had his way, he probably would have skipped meals and hours of sleep to study. “We both tried to tell him that he was good. It should have been obvious after he managed to work his way through three books from the Black library in two days and then claimed they were too easy.”

“I know,” Hermione shook her head in disbelief, “I had never heard of half of those crazy plants. One of them is known to eat people and I can’t for the life of me remember if it was the yellow and pink flower or the purple one.”

“So, either stay out of remote areas of Africa or take Neville with us?” Harry joked.

“I thought it was South America,” Hermione frowned and reached for her bag.

Harry grabbed her hand, preventing her from finding the books buried in her bag. “Not now, they are about to transition to the care portion.”

It was time to see just what Neville was capable of.

…

Things were going well. 

Sam, Quinn and Wendell had held their own in the quiz portion of the competition. They weren’t in first place, but they were only a few points behind Beauxbatons and had a considerable lead on Durmstrang. Now he and Ashley were working through their task easily. 

Each portion of the competition was scored evenly with points awarded depending on accuracy. Neville could already tell that they were in the lead for this portion. The Durmstrang pair, a boy and girl, had repotted a carnivorous snapdragon when all the plant really needed was a hunk of rabbit meat. The Beauxbatons team had not fallen for this but the male part of that team had almost lost his finger when he went to tickle a teenaged mandrake. 

Neville turned his attention back to Ashley and nearly swore as he dove to her workstation, grabbing her hand and pulling it back before she could water the plant in front of her. “You can’t water that,” Neville spoke quietly. “Watering that flower right now would kill it, at least if you use water.”

“It’s just a lily, isn’t it?”

He shook his head, “No that is a rare fire lily. They can only be watered with straight water when they aren’t flowering. If you use just water right now it will burst into uncontrolled flame and then die. To keep a flowering fire lily alive, you need to water with a mix of water and ethanol,” he grabbed a container of ethanol from under the table and poured some into a beaker. Then he poured water into the beaker until it reached the proper level. “When a fire lily is flowering it is supposed to burn but it requires fuel. If you feed it water it will burn itself out trying to keep the inner flame going, but if you give it ethanol,” he poured his mixture onto the soil surrounding the fire lily, “the petals will flame.”

Before them, the flame colored petals sprouted a gentle blue toned flame. The flames did not spread and only seemed to add to the beauty of the plant. “That is what a fire lily is supposed to look like.”

Ashley smiled, “I have never even heard of a fire lily, let alone seen one. How did you know that?”

“I have some at home. My mom used to grow them,” he gave her a crooked smile, “they were a gift from her best friend, Harry’s mom.”

“I’m glad you were here,” she looked away from the still softly burning flower, “I would have hated to have killed it. Is there anything else I missed?” She asked, looking around and seeing that everything at their station appeared to be complete.

In answer, Neville lit a piece of wood on fire with the flame of the lily and then dropped the wood into a dish. It burned quickly and then he picked up the dish and sifted the ash. “Fire lilies need ash mixed into the soil after each burning. No matter how much ethanol you feed it, it will burn for just under five minutes. When the flame goes out, you need to spread the ash around the stalk.”

“I really want to be you when I grow up,” Ashley sighed.

“You’re a seventh year.”

“But I don’t know half as much about plants. You have a gift, Neville.” She would have continued but stopped when she saw Neville all but running to one of the other groups. 

“Don’t touch that!” Neville grabbed the hand of the Durmstrang girl who was about to grab a leaf to prune it. “Not only will it burn your skin but it will also inject poison into your bloodstream. We may have the antidote here but it will be painful and keep you in the hospital for fifteen days.” 

The girl’s eyes widened in surprise, “I thought it was just a breed of Japanese maple,” she gulped, backing away slightly. 

“It is but it is also a poisonous breed. It was created by a wizard who was tired of people touching his bonsai. He interbred it with a Venomous Tentacula. Somehow the cross breeding made it even more poisonous than the Tentacula but not sentient in any way.”

Ashley, having seen the Beauxbatons team also about to move to the little maple, told them to put gloves on before they touched it and stopped the male partner from using water on their fire lily. 

“Time is up,” the stern-faced judge said, walking up to the group. “Full points to Hogwarts for their work and additional credit for saving the other pairs and the fire lilies.” She turned her attention to Neville, “Owl me if you are ever in need of a job. I could use you at my greenhouses.”

Ashley gapped at the retreating woman, “That was Ingrid Michaelson. She owns the largest nursery in the world. Her plants are known for their quality and she is known for being impossible to please.”

“Yes, it was.” Neville shrugged, “She used to do business with my grandfather before he died and we had to close the greenhouses. Now we just have personal greenhouses. My gran doesn’t like her because she was always trying to get my grandfather to leave gran for her.”

“I don’t even know what to say about that,” Ashley shook her head. “Are you ready for the identification round?”

“I think we should just hand this round over to Hogwarts now,” the male from Beauxbatons groaned. “I don’t want to go against him!”

“Agreed,” the Russian female from Durmstrang nodded, “He just saved me from a hospital visit because I didn’t identify that maple correctly.”

“He saved my finger.”

“And stopped me from killing that lily.”

“What is with these Hogwarts fourteen-year-olds?” The Beauxbatons boy asked. “First Potter, then that Zabini kid who was in the DADA portion of the competition and now Longbottom! What are they eating around here? Is it the water? Where can I get whatever it is?”

Ashley snorted and shook her head, “I have been asking myself that all year. It is both amazing and irritating to be shown up by a fourth year!”

“Contestants competing in the final portion of the Herbology competition, please come to greenhouse four,” called Michaelson.

“Hopefully they added something new in there,” Ashley said as the three left, “otherwise those two are going to be really embarrassed. Neville spends a lot of time in greenhouse four.”

“They’re doomed either way,” the remaining member of the Beauxbatons team conceded, “that kid has a gift and he deserves to win this event.”

**Gryffindor Tower**

To say that the Gryffindors like to party would be an understatement. When the house of lions was stressed or bored, they could always find a reason, any reason to party. Fred and George once managed to convince their fellow lions to celebrate the birthday of Filch by throwing a party and conveniently forgetting to invite him. Surprisingly, that party had been impressive at the end, including having it broken up by Professor McGonagall at nearly one in the morning.

A party celebrating the achievements of one of their own, that was an epic party that was only overshadowed by quidditch celebrations. 

The lions had spent a lot of time partying during the Triwizard Tournament. Every task required a party in the common room following whatever celebration was in the great hall. The fact that there were Gryffindors on each of the two quidditch teams meant they got to celebrate a victory after all except one of the games Hogwarts played that year. Surprisingly, the party following the Herbology academic competition was one of the biggest. 

Due in large part to the fact that lions were the house of the brave, they rarely led the way in academics. The fact that Neville Longbottom, one of their fourth years, was the sole reason for a Hogwarts academic victory meant they went all out. Neville was never the center of attention, even if he was best friends with Harry Potter, so much of their house didn’t really know him. In fact, most only knew him as Harry’s friend who liked plants. It was assumed, correctly, that he was kind of shy and rather quiet. These facts did not sway the house of lions into throwing a quiet affair to celebrate his victory. No, it inspired them to throw the ragger of all raggers in the hours proceeding the competition. 

To say that Neville was embarrassed by all the attention, pomp and circumstance would be an understatement. For once in his Hogwarts life he was the hero, the one everyone wanted to know. 

And he kind of hated it. 

“I am so sorry,” Neville moaned as he sank into the couch next to Harry after escaping Seamus and Ron. “I completely get why you hate all the attention now.”

Harry snorted and took a sip of his butterbeer. “Except you will only have to live with this for a few hours, at most a day.”

“And then it will be back to normal,” Hermione stole Harry’s glass and took a sip as hers was empty.

“If it’s too much for you,” Harry’s expression changed to one of concern, “I can sneak you out under my cloak. It won’t fool the twins for long but it would give you about a twenty-minute head start before they found my map and started chasing you down.”

Neville chuckled under his breath and shook his head, “I’m fine, Harry. It’s just one night and they will forget about me in about ten minutes anyway. Fred and George will do something or Ron will start regaling them with a play by play of your last quidditch match and I will be forgotten.”

“Not by us,” Hermione smiled at him. “We are really proud of you.”

Harry nodded emphatically, “You really did an amazing job. Not only did you outperform everyone but you also saved fingers and possibly a life.”

“And proved that Herbology isn’t just plants.”

“Yeah,” Ginny popped up from behind Harry and Hermione’s couch, “plants can kill.” She grinned, and handed Hermione and Neville a butterbeer. “You did great, Neville.”

And then she was gone. 

Neville shook his head. Ginny Weasley was a completely different person than she had been in the months following the chamber incident. No one was really sure what it was that caused the change but she had been a bright, vivacious girl all year. 

A loud whistle sounded over the sounds of merriment. All eyes turned to the fireplace, where Fred and George were both standing. “Before things get too crazy, we would like to congratulate one of our own for proving once and for all that Gryffindors aren’t just brainless idiots who leap before they look,” Fred said, his face as serious as it ever got.

Beside him, George frowned, “I thought Hermione proved that years ago?” He scratched his head, “Come to think of it, Bill proved that years before that. Fred, are you trying to get us hexed?”

“I am trying to give Neville the recognition that he deserves, brother mine.”

“While I agree that he has done our house proud, I don’t think insulting the intelligence of the rest of the house is the way to go.” He looked around the room and cringed, “Quinn, Hermione and Nicole in particular will have found that statement insulting. Nicole basically won the potions competition and Quinn is the captain of the academic team after all.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Fred conceded. “Now, what was I saying? Oh, right. Neville, our resident herbology genius did us proud today and I think we should give him a round of applause before things deteriorate like they usually do.”

“I thought we had already done that,” George added at the end. “I distinctly remember asking for a round of applause while Neville was standing on a chair before we called for the celebration to begin.”

Fred shrugged, “I figured we would do one more before the crazy stuff starts happening.”

“What craziness do you speak of brother?”

“Well, there will inevitably be a drinking contest,” he looked out at the students, “sixth year and up, I am talking to you Seamus!”

“Right,” George agreed, “There is always one of those. Then there are the fireworks, for some reason people like to set them off indoors.”

“Again, Seamus we are talking to you!”

“OI,” Seamus shouted, “You are the ones who make them!”

The twins just ignored him, “And at least one couple will end up having a major fight and breaking up,” George continued. “Do you think that will be you and Angelina or Ron and Lavender this time?”

Fred frowned, “Maybe it will be you and Nicole.”

“Not going to happen,” Nicole threw a sock at Fred. It was not her sock, in fact she wasn’t entirely sure who it belonged to, she had found it on the floor and had banished it at Fred so as not to touch the smelly piece of clothing. “My money is on you; Angelina is looking at you like she wants to hit you and Ron and Lavender are in the corner snogging again.”

“HEY,” Fred shouted, affronted. 

George looked at his younger brother and frowned, “Can’t he use a broom cupboard like everybody else?”

“Are you two done yet?” Harry shouted. “I would personally like to get on with things and I really don’t need to know that Ron is doing, or what Seamus might do.”

“How about this,” Hermione stood and picked up two butterbeers from the table. She handed one to each of the twins as they didn’t have drinks in their hands. “Let’s all raise a glass and toast the great House of Godric Gryffindor. This year we have proven to the school that we are a force to be reckoned with.” She raised her glass, smiling when the rest of the house followed suit. “To us!”

The house of lions took a drink, tossing their achievements, and then all burst in to uproarious laughter at the sight before them. 

In place of the twins, stood Dr. Suess’s Thing 1 and Thing 2. 

Hermione took a dramatic bow, “Thank you, thank you.” She turned back to the twins, smiling sweetly. “I believe that is two for me and zero for you.”

For their part, Fred and George didn’t know if they had ever been prouder. 

“PRANK WAR!!!” they shouted as one and then the spells began to fly.

…

The Gryffindor party/prank war was broken up near midnight by the combined efforts of Professor McGonagall, Lupin, Flitwick and Snape with a timely appearance from a very irritated, and visibly pregnant Narcissa Black. It was not the stern looks of McGonagall or Snape’s faces, nor the giggles from Flitwick or the outright laughter from Lupin that stopped the house of lions. No, what finally cowed the house of the brave was the dark look that was painted on Narcissa’s face. Each and every member of Gryffindor house would later admit that they had never been more scared in their life than when the lady of House Black had threatened them. None would remember exactly what she threatened them with, but they would all fear the wrath of one small noble lady. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Working on the next chapter - could be two posted in next two weeks or so.


	42. Before the Storm

**Wolf Den**

Aria couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face as she looked around the room. Yesterday had been the final dueling competition for the tournament, Durmstrang versus Beauxbatons. After Durmstrang had thoroughly trounced their French competitors there had been a surprise event where the highest scored duelists had competed for the top individual spot. This final event had been a free for all, with all six of the top scored competitors dueling at once. Durmstrang had certainly had the advantage in this individual event. They had four duelists that had gone undefeated, though only three of those had been chosen for the final test, Ilya among them. Hogwarts had two competitors, both Slytherins, the captain and assistant captain: Grace Wiatts and Sebastian Brinkley. Grace had gone undefeated, while Sebastian had been chosen due to his superior point count. The lone Beauxbatons competitor was also chosen due to being undefeated with a high enough point count. The one undefeated duelist not in the final competition had barely won both of his duels and was, in terms of points, outclassed by a number of other duelists who had been defeated during their duels. 

As much as she would have liked to see it, Hogwarts did not have the champion of the dueling competition; that fell on the young shoulders of Ilya Prakenski. The young man had speed on his side; he had dodged and ducked so well he rarely had to shield and had taken out both of his schoolmates and the Beauxbatons duelist in the event. Grace had placed second, taking out Sebastian before falling herself to Ilya. Third place had gone to the Durmstrang captain. The wolves were extremely pleased that Ilya had won, and Grace had placed second.

Gavril had attended the final dueling competition so he could watch his son compete. The pride the Russian wolf felt seeing his son win was indescribable; he seemed to vibrate with it. The man looked most at home with a scowl on his face but watching his son receive highest honors for his dueling prowess saw a smile on his face for the rest of the day. It was still there.

With Gavril in town, Aengus had decided to have an impromptu meeting with Remus; the Irish pack leader invited himself to the Wolf Den but had yet to actually bring up any business. Aria suspected that he had felt a bit left out before Greyback’s fall; the other packs had these sorts of meetings often, usually with their closest geographical pack, and the Irish pack had been stuck with Greyback located between them and any other respectable pack. He now seemed to use anything and everything as a reason to visit and chat with Remus. 

Hearing someone knocking, she slipped out of the room and left the men to their discussion on dueling techniques. Ilya and Remus had the same idea about the best way to duel, combining shielding with mobility and unpredictability, while Aengus was a staunch believer in shielding and overpowering opponents. Gavril just kept switching sides to make the discussion that much more confusing while Fay played the cheerleader for her boyfriend and ‘father.’ Aria honestly wondered why Aengus tried; Remus was a defense master and Ilya had just beaten a duelist who thought as Aengus did, but leaders could get stuck in their ways.

Opening the door, she froze. Standing on her doorstep were the last people she expected to see after their last parting. 

The woman was a strawberry blonde, though Aria could see the gray peeking out at the roots. She was small, like Aria but had a curvier figure. Where Aria was athletically built, the woman before her was the definition of an hourglass figure. The man was of average height for a man. His hair was light brown and peppered with silver. His features were sharp and his build slim, on the way to being too skinny. They were older than the last time she saw them, and she wasn’t nearly as intimidated as she used to be by their presence. 

“Are you going to let us in?” the woman asked, rolling her eyes, her tone annoyed and dripping with disappointment.

Aria blinked and stepped slightly to the side without even thinking about it. She regretted the action instantly. “What are you doing here?”

The woman brushed past her, purposely bumping Aria with her shoulder, while the man managed not to run into anything while he entered her home. “Is that any way to speak to a guest?”

The redhead fought a scowl, “I think it is a perfectly reasonable question and in a reasonable tone considering how our last meeting ended. What is it you said?” she asked but did not give either of them the opportunity to answer, “Right, you wanted nothing to do with a monster. That is how you worded it, isn’t it, mother?”

Remus stepped into the entryway at that moment, “There you are,” he wrapped his arm protectively around his fiancé, “Aengus seems to think you can help him win his argument for some reason, and was wondering what was keeping you.” He looked toward the couple, “Can I help you?”

“It is you I came to see,” she said, giving Aria a rather smug look, confusing the couple. “I saw the announcement of your engagement and the date of your wedding and knew I needed to warn you before you made a horrible mistake.”

“Our engagement was in the papers months ago and we will be married in a little over two months’ time, why come now?”

“You ask about my timing but not about what I could possibly be warning you about? I would think a professor of Hogwarts would be more concerned about what his marriage might do to his reputation.”

“That sounds suspiciously like a threat.”

“No,” she tossed her hair with a twitch of her head, “I want to save you from the young woman, that is all I want.”

“And what, pray tell,” Aengus growled as he stepped into the entryway, “could you possibly have on her that would make us think poorly of her.”

Remus could hear the recognition and disgust in the older werewolf’s voice. Gavril stood behind him, his customary scowl back on his face. Ilya stood to the left of his father, purposely positioning himself in front of Fay, who peaked at them from behind his arm. 

“If you must know, this woman, if you can call her that,” she glanced at Aria as though she was garbage, “is a beast. She should be caged.”

“We have already had this discussion,” Aengus all but roared. He would have continued but stopped when Remus gave him a look.

“And why should my fiancé be caged?” he asked in a calm voice, though Fay and Aria could hear the thinly veiled rage behind his words.

“I would think you of all people would agree, considering who your parents were. They had very clear opinions of what should happen to these disgusting creatures,” she waved a hand at Aria. “Werewolves should be caged, then killed; otherwise you get murderers like Greyback running around.”

“What proof do you have?” Gavril asked quietly, his own anger held in check by sheer force of will.

“She is our daughter, we would know. It’s why we had to face the disgrace of removing her from Beauxbatons.”

Remus studied the pair, pity and indifference now all he would allow himself to feel for them. He could not change such deep routed opinions and allowing his rage out would fix nothing. “You say you came to warn me because of what my parents stood for and yet you are nothing like my parents. Over time my parents’ ideas on werewolves changed; while they once believed that genocide was the only option, they changed their tune when the met a four-year-old child who had been turned. The child was no different than any other child except when he changed. They decided that death wasn’t the only option and that as long as the individual didn’t act like Greyback, then they should only be caged during the full moon, a protection for those not inflicted with the disease and the werewolf themself. There are very few who suffer this life who actually want to force others to live it too.” He sneered, in a way very reminiscent of Severus, “What gives you the right to pass judgement when you don’t know what it is like?”

“You are a defense professor at a school, and you think you can just shack up with a werewolf?”

“I am a bodyguard of a minister,” Gavril said casually, “and I am a werewolf.”

“You know exactly who I am, your sorry excuse for a parent,” Aengus rumbled, the man flinched while the woman only glared back at them harder. “I am a highly successful businessman, who is respected by many and yet I am also a werewolf and lead a pack.”

“You think I deserve to be caged?” Fay asked, purposely making her voice small. She was right around the age Aria had been when she was turned. “Do I not get a chance to grow up?”

“You’re a beast too? Then you deserve a cage. Your parents should have just killed you.”

Fay glared at the pair, “You sound so much like my mother, and she was forced to flee the country because of how she treated me. There are powerful people who would fight for me no matter what you said. They would fight for Aria too; that includes powerful people in the DMLE.”

Remus stepped forward, done with this, “I had asked Aria if she wanted to include you in our wedding and she told me no with absolutely no hesitation, and I understand that now after spending only minutes with you. You may have thought that you were coming to warn me about her infliction to help me but I have been a werewolf since the tender age of four; I have never bitten anyone and was the one who took Greyback down. I am an Alpha wolf, who is respected by other packs and has the trust of officials in the ministry. I attended Hogwarts, as a werewolf, with full knowledge and permission of Albus Dumbledore. He also approves my position as professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. My students are well taught and score well on their OWLs and NEWTs.” He grabbed Aria’s had and kissed the back of it tenderly, “Aria is my mate, my other half. She grounds me, supports me, challenges me and has shown me that I do not have to fear the future. She will be the mother of my children,” he turned to her, “I hope sooner rather than later. If my parents were still alive, I think they would have approved.” 

“I wish I could say the same,” Aria leaned into Remus but glared at her parents, her father shifted uncomfortably under her judging gaze. “But obviously my parents can’t accept me, so I doubt they would approve of the werewolf I am going to marry, no matter how powerful or respected he is.”

“Could we sick uncle Sirius on them?” Fay asked, still behind Ilya; the young man had forcibly pushed her behind him to ensure she was covered.

“As amusing as that would be, I think a word of warning is all that is necessary,” Remus gave his full attention to the intruding pair. “I am going to give you some advice. Mathias, Lenore,” he saw that they were shocked that Remus knew their names, “it would be in your best interest if you continued to keep your silence about Aria’s infliction. It would also be societal suicide were you to go to anyone about my own status. I am a close friend of Lord Black; in fact, I have been friends with him since he was eleven. I am an honorary uncle to Harry Potter. Amelia Bones knows exactly who and what I am, and the ministry is in my debt for what I did to stop Fenrir Greyback. I have an unblemished record and am a favored professor at Hogwarts. My secret may not be well known within Hogwarts but there is not a single professor who would speak against me. The students who do know would fight for me and most who don’t know would fight for me as well; I have taught them for nearly two years, and they would be sad to see me go.”

“Added to that,” Aengus stepped forward, “you would be angering the major pack leaders of Europe were you to damage Remus’s standing.”

“And Japan,” Gavril added.

“Yes, and Japan. Remus Lupin is the best example of what we could be. Using the wolf to protect life and impart knowledge. He controls the werewolves of Great Britain; without him they could run free the way Fenrir allowed and encouraged. Do you want that?”

When they didn’t respond, Aria sighed, “Was there anything else you wanted?”

For the first time the man spoke, “Congratulations Sweetheart,” he placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder and physically started to direct her out the door, “I am sorry I couldn’t be the father you deserved but you know who I am. I can promise that nothing about any of you will be revealed by us; she will be far too afraid of what Lord Black could possibly do to her and that is not just a fear for her reputation. She still thinks of Lord Black as the Dark Lord’s right-hand man despite the evidence on the contrary.” He looked down at his feet as his wife swept out the door and then stood on the stoop, tapping her foot impatiently. “I wish you all the best and if you happen to send a picture or two my way, I will cherish them.”

Aria looked down briefly, “I don’t think I can forgive you, but I can try to have a civil relationship with you.” She took a step forward, that was as far as Remus would allow her, “If you can keep her away, you can come to the wedding but just be aware that there will be a very large number of ‘beasts’ in attendance.”

“You’re my daughter, I could never see you as nothing but a beast. Your mother and I have had problems since the night of the attack, and I am honestly done. She is going to stay with your aunt in France while I have moved into a flat in London. I wanted to kill her after she read that article in the prophet about the attack in Diagon Alley. She was angered that you weren’t killed.”

“She almost got her wish,” Aria shook her head, “Riddle cast a killing curse at me and the only reason it didn’t connect was that a goblin blocked it by shifting the cobblestone.”

Mathias jumped forward and hugged his startled daughter, neither noticed the others tensing behind them. “I for one would have been devastated had you died. I may have been your mother’s punching bag over the years, but I am done letting her rule me. It may be too late, but I plan to do what fathers are supposed to do, I am going to support and protect you with everything I have. I love you, baby girl.”

He was out the door before Aria had managed to get her mind around what her father had said. She hadn’t heard those words from her father since she was a teenager. It made her think that perhaps there was hope for wizards after all.

Now, they just needed to live long enough to see the rest of them change too.

**Grimmauld Place**

Sirius sat in his chair in his favorite den, a beer in his hands, staring at his best friend. Remus sat in the chair opposite him, a glass of whisky in his hands, staring back with a blank face. For some reason, Severus was also in the room, sitting to Remus’s left and nursing a glass of very expensive wine from the Black wine cellar; he looked more bored than anything.

“Tell me about Liz.”

“I thought we were here to talk about you and Aria? Isn’t it crazy her parents showed up like that?”

“We talked about that at dinner, Siri.”

“Oh, then we are here to talk about Severus and Cissy. Why else would he be here? Isn’t she about ready to pop?”

Severus raised an eyebrow, “The baby isn’t due until the end of September, as you well know. I certainly hope I am in the room when you tell Narcissa that she looks like she is nine months pregnant instead of five and a half. Do you want to be castrated in the most painful and public way?”

The Black head winced, “Okay, not what I meant. Um… Harry and Hermione sure are cute, aren’t they?”

“Yes, they are,” Remus agreed, “but I know you and you know me. I will not be so easily distracted, that was always you. Tell me about Liz. Tonks has been sharing all sorts of interesting things when she comes by to check in. She says the brothers Nott mock you relentlessly. Something about you acting like a giddy school-girl”

“Do I really need to be here for this gossip session?” Severus rolled his eyes before Sirius could answer.

“There is nothing to tell really,” Sirius shrugged after a moment’s pause, “and no, you don’t need to be here unless you want to tell us about how you and Cissy are doing on the romantic front while she is pregnant and moody.” He paused for a second, his face settling into a look of horror and disgust. “No, wait. I don’t want to hear about any of that.”

Remus and Severus smirked as the other man shuddered. “Cissy really does love it when I kiss that spot behind her ear…” Severus started.

This instantly caused Sirius to plug his ears with his fingers and start singing loudly, “La la la la, I can’t hear you!”

Remus raised an eyebrow in a way that made Sirius think of Severus. He pulled his fingers from his ears slowly, making sure Severus didn’t start up again. “I think the two of you have been spending far too much time together. You make the same facial expressions and plot the same way.” He glared somewhat playfully at Severus, “I won’t let you steal my best friend. If you try, I will duel you.”

“Then lose to me?” 

Sirius squinted at him, “Probably, but I wouldn’t go down without a fight.” He looked at Remus, “I should get some SIRIUS points for that,” he winked. “I admitted that he is a better dueler and I didn’t call him names!”

“You should stop trying to change the subject,” Remus took a sip of his whiskey, savoring the burn as the alcohol ran down his throat. “I am not going to let you leave this room until you talk to me about Liz. Come on Siri,” he leaned forward, “you used to give me every sordid detail of every date you ever went on. You’re starting to make me worried because you won’t talk about anything.”

“Are we going to ignore the horrible pun?” Severus wondered. “He was very obviously placing his name in that sentence instead of the word serious.”

“We never acknowledge Sirius versus serious puns. It just encourages him.” He narrowed his eyes at his friend, “Talk.”

The Grimm animagus pouted, “Moony, you are mean the day before the full moon.” He crossed his arms over his chest and waited but started feeling nervous when neither man said anything but continued to stare at him. “I don’t really know what to say, Remi,” Sirius sighed. “I have been out with her twice, three times if you count taking her and her kid to ice cream the day we met. In fact, I haven’t been alone with her yet as Chris has been there each and every time. Our schedules haven’t really been open enough for more, not her fault, I just have too much nonsense to attend to right now.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“Of course, Moony!” He knew his friend was talking about the lack of alone time as opposed to his busy schedule. “I love kids and Chris is great. I just wish I had more time to see them.”

“Is this just about the kid?” Severus wondered.

Sirius shook his head, “No. I like Liz. I sent her a mirror and we talked. Merlin, we actually talk every day for at least a few minutes. She hasn’t had it easy and neither have I, just in very different ways. I don’t want to pressure her and I actually really like getting to know her. I tell her about my mistakes, about Harry, about trying to fix the Black family and our world. She talks about Chris, her late husband, her mum and her worries about moving Chris away from the world he knew so she could take care of her ailing mum. The best part is, she calls me on my crap. Girls in our world tend to just ignore my many mistakes because I am the Black of House Black.”

“Are you going to go out with just her?”

“And I thought you didn’t want to be in on this gossip session,” Remus smirked at Severus.

“I blame Harry. The kid is turning me soft.” He raised an eyebrow at Sirius, “Even though I am currently disgusted with myself, I would still like an answer.”

“Friday. We are going out Friday. I need to be there for Harry on Saturday and we don’t know what exactly is going to happen so I couldn’t ask her out Saturday or Sunday, but I also didn’t want to wait until after the end of the tournament just in case all hell breaks loose like we all think it could.” He ran a hand through his hair and downed the rest of his beer. “We took Chris to the arcade this afternoon and I think I had more fun than he did. I am apparently terrible at Skeeball because Liz and Chris both trounced me. Then Liz challenges me to pinball and I am somehow worse at that than Skeeball and I swear I used to be really good at it. I mean I used to beat you and James all the time!” He shook his head, “I know mums aren’t always in mum mode but the fact that she can let go and goof around with me and Chris is a real turn on.” He looked at Severus, “And we all know that Harry has nothing to do with the fact that you are going soft and everything to do with little Roddy and the future sprog.”

Remus, ignoring the last bit, smiled at his friend, “Siri, you were never very good at pinball, James and I were just worse than you. If you remember, Lily used to laugh at how bad we all were. As for Liz, it sounds like she grounds you but still allows you to have fun. Where are you taking her on your date?”

“I’m not sure,” he scrunched up his face in thought. “I want to impress her but I don’t want to come off as a pretentious arse. She’s also interested in magic but I want to ease her into the magical world; you know how people are. As much as I like the Copper Spell or the Silver Chalice, I would rather not put Liz through me being hounded by the prophet or meeting some political ally who wants to talk shop even though I am obviously on a date.” 

“Sound reasoning,” Severus nodded. “I would also suggest that when you do introduce her to the magical world, that you don’t have the first place she sees be the Leaky.”

“She’s seen the outside,” he frowned. Had he screwed up already?

Remus chuckled, “I think what he meant was that you don’t stop in the Leaky. Walk her through the pub and then go directly to the alley. Take her to the one store you think she will be most interested in and then to a café for some food.”

“Flourish and Blotts, she loves books.” He grinned, living this idea, “Oh, I could take Chris too, he’s magical after all, and then take them to Fortescue’s!”

“Before you start planning your next _family_ outing, perhaps you should make sure you don’t mess up your date?” Severus smirked when he saw the panic cross Sirius’s face.

“What am I going to do? I am really good at messing up dates! I did it all the time back in school. My money and smile only go so far!”

“I never thought I would see Sirius Black be insecure about dating,” Severus mused. “The arrogant toe rag I remember used to flaunt his prowess with the finer sex.”

“Well,” Sirius scowled, “that arrogant toe rag spent a decade in Azkaban for being a bloody idiot. I promised myself if I ever got out, I would actually try to think before acting. The fact that I got treated by healers for mind and body means I can actually do that. I will be around to see Harry become a man. I am going to be the best man at Moony’s wedding. I’ll see him have cubs and go to Harry’s wedding, hopefully to Hermione because that girl is good for him.” He got up and started pacing, “I want to see the joke shop the twins want to open and watch Draco figure out what he wants out of life now that he isn’t a mini Malfoy. Most of all, I want a chance at a family of my own.”

Sirius leaned against the mantle and kicked a piece of wood that was waiting for a fire to be started. “I took so much for granted after Hogwarts. I thought we were invincible, that nothing could touch us. I was so sure that once we won, I would find a girl and settle down after having some fun. Eventually we’d have a kid or two and they would go to Hogwarts in a world that someone like Voldemort could never exist in.” 

Remus stood and moved to his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder, “Most twenty-year-olds think like that Siri. It’s the failing of youth to not realize that life is fleeting.”

He shook his head, “But I grew up in this house. I knew that the young didn’t necessarily live to see adulthood and that even crotchety old men can live longer than their grandchildren. We had lost so many friends by that point that I shouldn’t have still been thinking that way. If Gideon and Fabian could be cut down together then any of us could, whether we were alone or in a group.” He turned and studied the Slytherin in the room, “I bet Severus didn’t think that way. He’s paranoid now but I bet he was worse in the heat of it.”

Severus shrugged, “I’m probably more paranoid now but I did live my life expecting to die at any time during the war. I carried three wands and various poison laced daggers with me at all times. I trusted almost no one and had to ward my home heavily before I could allow myself to close my eyes, and my main job for the Dark Lord was to brew potions. But there were those around me who did think they were invincible. So many of our classmates or those a few years older, thought there was no way they could possibly die despite the danger they were putting themselves into. You were not alone in you thinking. The fact that you survived and now know that you could die just means you aren’t the idiot you used to be.”

Sirius blinked at him, “That is one of the nicest insulting compliments I have ever received. Well done, I should take lessons from you.”

“And there is the idiot,” Severus rolled his eyes, “I take it back, you haven’t learned anything.”

“Moony, the Slytherin is being mean!”

“And this is why I can’t leave the two of you alone in a room,” Remus sighed. “You did that to yourself Siri, don’t say stupid things if you don’t want Severus to blast you with sarcasm and insults. Sev, you don’t have to be so...so…” Remus struggled to find the word he wanted.

“Condescending?” Sirius suggested.

“Superior?” Severus countered.

“Arrogant.”

“Correct.”

“Rude.”

“Helpful.”

“And that is the end of that. I really can’t leave you alone. Back to topic,” Remus cut in before they could say anything damaging, “Sirius, you should probably take Liz to a nice muggle restaurant to start and then ease her in like we talked about. I will get you a list of restaurants and you can decide from there. I am going to go; the moon is full tomorrow and I honestly want to hex both of you right now so I am going to take Severus back to Hogwarts and let Narcissa deal with him.”

“Love you, Moony,” Sirius called, watching his friend shove Severus out of the room, “Later Sni...Severus.” He sank back down into his chair, and looked at his empty beer. “I will not screw this up.”

**London**

Sirius held Liz’s hand securely in his as he walked her to her door. It had been an amazing evening. While he wasn’t quite ready to take her into the magical world because of who he was and the attention he got, not to mention Riddle being out there, he could still take her out for a nice meal. He had taken her to a nice quiet restaurant that Remus recommended and it really was perfect. Low light, quiet music, candles on the table and good food. 

It wasn’t the food he would remember, it wasn’t the music, or the atmosphere, it was the conversation, the company. Sirius Black was a goofball who used humor to hide his insecurities and he knew it. He always had used humor to hide what he was feeling so that no one could use anything serious against him. The amazing thing was, Liz realized that and didn’t let him go too far down the rabbit hole. When he started going dark with his humor, she would give him a look and redirect the conversation. He knew it and appreciated it. 

After dinner, they had walked through London, enjoying the warm evening and watching the moon rise higher into the sky as they strolled hand in hand. When they reached her door at last, he thought the night had gone far too quickly.

Sirius looked down at his feet for a moment before returning his attention to her face, “I guess this is where I leave you.”

Liz squeezed his hand, “I had a lovely time. Thank you for taking me out.” She laughed softly, “Chris was quite put out that he couldn’t come too.”

“We’ll take him out next weekend,” he grinned, “that is if I haven’t completely screwed this up and I haven’t died.”

“Siri,” she grabbed his free hand so she was holding both of his hands in hers. “You can’t think like that. I expect you to take me and my son out next weekend, perhaps to see something magical,” she winked. “But most importantly, you need to have faith that everything is going to work out.”

“My life doesn’t work out like that. If something can go wrong, it will.”

“While I appreciate Murphy’s Law, you can’t live your life like that; you would end up never leaving your house. Additionally, I think you have had more than enough bad luck for a dozen lifetimes. The universe should be on your side for once, and even if it’s not, you have planned and trained so hard for this. You talk about what you are teaching the kids to help them in a fight but you also told me all about the extra training you are doing yourself.” He shrugged but didn’t speak, allowing her to continue. “Two hours of dueling every night with different partners depending on who is there. Research into new spells, raiding your armory and buying up body armor. What more could you have possibly done?”

“I haven’t found a way to keep Harry safe,” he whispered, not daring to meet her eyes.

“But you gave him the tools to get himself to safety.”

Sirius looked into her eyes, his expression lost, “I can’t lose him, Liz. I could survive just about anything at this point but not losing him. I have made my peace with the losses I have already suffered and have resigned myself to the possibility that someone else could die.” He ran a hand through his hair, “As terrible as it probably sounds, I could come back from all but two deaths, but if I lose Harry or Narcissa, I won’t be able to bounce back.”

“What about Remus?” She asked knowing just how close the two were.

“Remus and I have talked about that possibility a lot, actually. We would both rather sacrifice ourselves than let someone we care about die. Remi and I have been through so much both together and separate. He has already gone through losing me and can survive it if he has Harry, Aria and Fay. I know I would miss him, mourn him, but I could bring myself to live for him. I could pick myself up and protect our shared family if he was gone.” 

She grabbed his hand and led him to the bench seat on the porch. 

“As much as I used to hate him, I would miss Severus. I know that he is in more danger than just about anyone because of his past and his skill. He will put himself between one of us and the enemy if he can. We may never be best friends, but I respect him and I will always be thankful for what he has done for Narcissa.” 

He started playing with the fingers on Liz’s left hand and laughed humorlessly, “Toujours Pur. Always Pure; the Black family motto. The House of Black doesn’t really need me, but it needs her. I don’t want history to remember us the way they have for the last hundred years. I want them to remember us for the good we did. For bringing equality while still honoring tradition. For helping to bring down the dark lord and making a difference. Instead of Always Pure referring to blood, maybe I can make it mean Always Pure of Heart. While I can’t do that without Narcissa and her guidance, that isn’t why I can’t lose her. Narcissa used to be my best friend when we were kids.

“Our parents were horrible. Their expectations were impossible and we only had each other. Bella was nuts and the apple of everyone’s eye, even though she was and still is certifiable. Andy was playing at being the perfect daughter but would protect us because we were younger. Narcissa and I used to run around our Grandfather’s manor like it was our own playground, causing mischief and mayhem constantly while my little brother ran at our heels.” He sighed, “Hogwarts changed that. Narcissa was a few years ahead of me and she had to play her part. She lost the fun in all the expectations and then lost her fire when she was married to that moron Lucius. Now, with Severus, my cousin is back. A little more sarcastic and terrifying but still my cousin. I don’t have many fond memories of my childhood, but the ones I do have involve Narcissa. Reconnecting with her has helped me survive and without her I would be lost.”

“I think you are forgetting that Narcissa is pregnant.”

“No, I’m not. It makes me worry for her even more. She is so much more vulnerable right now.”

“No, she really isn’t.”

“But…”

“No, Sirius, being pregnant isn’t a handicap the way most men think it is. Sure, toward the end we are swollen, irritable and we usually waddle just a little but early on, we are the same as always,” she shrugged, “maybe just a bit moodier. You also have to remember that mothers are fierce. We can and will take on the world to protect our children and I think Narcissa is that kind of mum from the way you talk about her. I may have never met her, but I can see who she is when you talk about how she treats her son, how she treats Harry, Fay and Hermione. You can correct me if I am wrong, but I see Narcissa as a momma bear prepared to rip someone’s throat out if they threaten her children.”

Sirius smirked and shuddered all at once, “No, you’re not wrong, I would have said a nesting dragon but the momma bear thing works just as well.”

“If she is forced to fight, she won’t go down without taking an army with her, you yourself said she is a formidable opponent and she will be all but surrounded by you and your friends.”

“I know you're right up here,” he pointed to his temple, “but in the dark, in my sleep, I can’t help but see everyone I care about fall. Inevitably, I wake up gasping for breath after watching Harry, Remus, Narcissa, Hermione, and everyone else get killed one by one by Riddle and my psychotic cousin Bella. Bella shouldn’t even be in my head because she is rotting in a cell a few down from my old one cackling like a lunatic but as I still hear her mocking me as I try to convince myself that it was all a dream.” 

“There is nothing you or I can do about your subconscious fears except continue to remind you that it hasn’t happened. All we can do is hope. I may not know your family, but I want to get the chance to meet them and get to know them soon.”

“So I haven’t messed this up?”

“Not by a long shot,” she smiled and kissed his cheek.

Sirius leaned in to kiss her properly but paused when he heard a soft bang on the window behind Liz’s head. The pair turned just in time to see Chris and his grandmother duck down below the windowsill. “How long do you think they were watching?” Sirius smiled into her hair and then kissed her temple.

“Hard to say; mother can be quite the snoop.”

“And Chris isn’t?”

She chuckled under her breath, not needing to answer because they both knew the boy demanded to know what was going on at all times.

“I supposed we really have to call it a night now,” Sirius sighed, “I don’t think I could give you the attention you deserve knowing they are looking over our shoulders.”

She nodded, “I need to get him to bed, seeing as my mum has failed to get him there.”

“Can I take you out again?”

“You better,” she stood with him, one of her hands still in his. “I also expect you to contact me tomorrow night to let me know that everyone is alright.”

“It might be late.”

“I won’t be able to sleep anyway, knowing just how paranoid you and your friends seem to be.”

They stood directly in front of her door, barely a breath between them. “I was thinking that it might be fun to take you and Chris to Diagon Alley next weekend.”

Liz closed her eyes, drinking in the sound of his voice, “We would love that.”

“Maybe I could take you out again next Friday night?” Sirius leaned down as he spoke.

Instead of answering, Liz closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his. I wasn’t a deep kiss, being their first official kiss, but it was full of meaning. It was sweet and full of promise. Hope for what could come.

The pair broke apart in laughter after hearing a gleeful yes shouted from the house. Obviously, Chris did not have a problem with Sirius kissing his mum.

“Good night, Liz,” Sirius squeezed her hand one last time as she opened the door.

“I will talk to you tomorrow, Sirius,” She smiled as she pulled her son into her arms and closed the door.

Sirius Black turned away from the house with the biggest grin he had worn in years. Perhaps things could turn out alright after all.

**Hogwarts Dungeons**

Narcissa leaned against the door to Roderick’s room and smirked. Severus stood looking out the small window, the baby boy held securely in his arms. “He isn’t going to disappear if you take your eyes off him,” she pushed off the doorframe and walked into the room. Placing a hand on Severus’s arm, she looked down at the snoozing baby. “Between you and Dobby I barely get to hold him,” she pouted.

Severus pried his eyes off the boy to look at his love, “It’s not that I think he will disappear, it’s that I am afraid I won’t live long enough to see him get any bigger than this.”

She closed her eyes, hiding the pain that statement caused. With practiced ease, she took Roderick from his arms and placed him back in the crib so that she could drag Severus from the room. Because the living room was closer, she led him to the loveseat in front of the fire and sat down, pulling him with her. “I won’t let that happen.”

“I have to protect you and the kids.”

“I don’t need protection, but I do need you.”

“He will be coming for me, probably harder than he comes for most, no matter what form he is in. I betrayed him. I actively oppose him.”

“And you are not the only one. So many have refused to fall back in line.”

“But they don’t fight the way I do. They aren’t training Harry Potter or destroying his Horcruxes.”

Narcissa placed a hand on his cheek, “While that is all true, it doesn’t take into account just how capable you and our allies are. Do you really think there are many who still follow Riddle that could take you in a fight? Do you think there are many who could take Remus, Sirius, Bill or me? While we don’t use the killing curse, we are formidable and have an arsenal of spells at our disposal.”

“But he is so far beyond our power.”

“And you think Albus will just let him come and attack his students and teachers without stepping in? He may be suffering from dementia but he is not useless. Albus Dumbledore is still extremely powerful. He still knows all of those complicated and destructive spells he used to defeat Grindelwald. It is his choices in everyday life that are suffering, not his instincts in combat.”

“I need you to survive.”

“And I will.” She held his gaze, making sure he could see just how sure she was. “Everyone knows that you don’t face off against a mother, especially when she is protecting her child. We are terrifying creatures and not even Riddle is stupid enough to try to kill a pregnant witch from the House of Black. I think the only person alive who would think I was an easy target is the one who should know just how deadly I can be, and she is rotting in Azkaban.”

Severus snorted and shook his head, “Is it wrong that I think it would be very interesting to watch your sister try to kill you? I can picture you tearing her to shreds while she laughs.”

“That certainly sounds like Bella.”

“Will you promise me you will be careful?” Severus placed a hand on her cheek as he spoke.

“Will you give me the same promise?”

Severus lowered his forehead to hers, “I can promise to try. If one of my students is in danger, or you are in danger, I won’t be able to stop myself from stepping into the middle. I can’t let the kids get hurt if I can do something about it. If it looks like he is going to escape, I won’t be able to stop myself from challenging him in the hopes that I could put an end to him. I would die defeating him rather than allow you and our children to live their lives in fear.”

“I can understand that and I can promise that I will be as careful as I am able. While I am a Black and pregnant, he still holds a grudge against my family. I will fight to run so that I can meet our daughter,” she placed her hand over his, both resting on her slightly rounded stomach. “Now, it is time for bed. While the task may be later in the day, we still need our rest.”

Severus rose to his feet pulling her with him, “As my lady wishes.”

Narcissa rolled her eyes, “You are lucky I love you.”

“I am indeed.”

Severus held Narcissa in his arms throughout the night, unable to sleep for fear of what they would face the following day.

**Gryffindor House**

Harry lay in his bed, staring at the curtain fabric overhead. The dread that had been building in his stomach all week was boiling over, keeping him from sleep despite his exhaustion and knowing he needed the rest. The next day would be the final task and he KNEW that something big, bad and probably both was going to happen. 

On a normal night, it would be the snoring of his roommates keeping him up but he couldn’t even hear it over the beating of his own heart. What he did hear was the door to their dorm room slowly opening. 

A moment later, the curtains on the right side of his bed opened to reveal his girlfriend. Hermione, in her red pants and imitation Potter jersey, quickly lifted his covers, crawled into his bed and pushed the curtain back into the closed position. 

“I couldn’t sleep,” she whispered as she snuggled into his side, placing her head on his shoulder. “I kept picturing you getting hurt by Riddle and a zombie version of him.”

Harry wrapped his arm around her and turned his head, burying his nose in her hair. “I can’t seem to turn my brain off either.” He sighed, “Something is going to happen tomorrow and it is going to be a lot worse than last year with Greyback.”

“I assumed as much.” She closed her eyes, trying to get rid of the mental images that statement created, “You’ve been on edge all week.”

“If you’re going to shag, make sure you put silencing charms around your bed,” Seamus called much louder than necessary considering the hour.

Before either Harry or Hermione could respond, Seamus let out a grunt, “OW. What was that for Dean?”

“Wasn’t me,” Dean yawned.

“Neville?” Seamus asked, irritated.

By this point all five boys had opened their curtains, “Wasn’t me,” Neville shrugged. “I was debating what I was going to do to you though.”

Everyone turned their attention to Ron, who was missing a pillow, the same pillow clutched in Seamus’s hands. “What? We all know that Hermione would never even think of that. Just because it is something Seamus would do, doesn’t mean that Harry and Hermione would. Seamus deserved to be hit for that comment but I didn’t feel like getting up so I threw my pillow at him,” he shrugged and started to lay back down, “it’s not my fault he doesn’t close his curtains and I have a direct line of sight on him.”

“It was a joke!” 

“And it wasn’t funny.” Ron sat back up and held his hand out for the pillow, “First, Hermione would never want her first time with Harry to be in the dorm room with four other guys there. Second, she isn’t that spontaneous, and neither is Harry for that matter. She probably has a plan on when that might be acceptable; which, if I am not mistaken, isn’t viable until at least sixth year if not after we graduate entirely.”

“All true,” Seamus agreed, “But it was a JOKE!”

“One that was bound to get you hexed,” Dean rolled his eyes despite the fact that no one could see it due to the low light.

“Merlin, none of you can take a joke.” Seamus grumbled, threw the pillow back at Ron, and started to close his curtains, “I am going to sleep, where people laugh at my jokes.”

“Pretty sure not even dream Harry and Hermione would laugh at that, mate,” Dean sighed, also closing his curtains again.

“Good Night, Hermione!” Ron grinned cheekily before closing his curtains.

“What were you going to do to him?” Neville wondered.

“Put him in a body bind and then hit him with tickling jinxes for half an hour.”

“And I would have silenced him,” Harry shook his head, “He is less likely to put his foot in his mouth if he can’t make noise.”

Neville nodded, “That would have made him think twice; being tickled but unable to move or ask for help is torture. Are you going to be alright?” His face took on a look of concern. While asking that, he flicked his wand three times, casting silencing charms around the other three beds in the room. Harry and Neville were VERY good at silencing charms.

“I think I’ll be able to sleep now,” Hermione smiled weakly.

Harry nodded as Neville’s attention turned to him, “I will try to sleep, I’m just not sure if I will be able to for long. The stress of what is coming is getting to me. Hopefully, Hermione is able to keep the demons at bay.”

“It’s all going to work out,” Neville insisted. “We have been through too much and trained too hard for this to allow our lives to be destroyed. No matter what happens, you have your friends and teachers behind you, prepared to take on your enemies and help you bring them down.”

“But who is going to get hurt or killed in the process?” Harry tightened his arm around Hermione.

“We don’t know.” She leaned into him. “We hope for the best and plan for the worst. We all know our orders. If we are attacked, we have to do our best to cause as much damage as possible while running away. We won’t run into danger unless that is the only exit available.”

“We’ve got your back Harry,” Neville said with clear determination. “Now, sleep. If you can’t, mirror Remus, I am sure he could get you a Dreamless Sleep potion to get you through the night.”

Hermione pressed a hand to Harry’s shoulder and pushed, telling him without words to lay back down. “Your demons better be scared, no one haunts my Harry or they will see the business end of my wand.”

Harry snorted as his girlfriends settled herself back onto his shoulder. “Good night, Neville.”

The curtain around Harry’s bed closed and Neville knew Hermione had cast a silencing charm, not to hide anything inappropriate but to keep the snores of the rest of the room away. “Good night,” he whispered to the quiet room. “Hopefully we live long enough to see another day come to an end.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expect the next chapter soon, it is in the editing process now. Chapter 44 is in progress and I hope to have it finished and ready for editing before Christmas.


	43. From Tomb to Stone

**Tournament Grounds**

“Welcome to the final task of the Triwizard Tournament,” Bagman spread his arms while standing on the judges stands. “Before we begin, let's have a bit of a recap of the rest of the previous tasks. 

“In our first task our contestants had to collect four eggs from the clutches of a dragon. Each contestant faced a different dragon. Miss Delacour and Mister Diggory acquired two eggs, Mister Krum three and Mister Potter surprised us all by not only collecting all four eggs but also excelling in the task with the use of Parselmagic. 

“In the second task, a hostage was taken that had a connection to each of our champions. Those hostages were held under the Black Lake in the mermaid village. Our champions had to not only rescue their hostage but also retrieve an item from a castle tower under the lake. Each tower was protected in some way making it difficult to find and retrieve the item. All of our champions rescued their hostages and found their item but only mister Krum and Mister Diggory made it to the surface within the time limit.

“The third task was dedicated to knowledge,” Bagman grinned. He was really enjoying being the center of attention. “The contestants had to traverse a course through the Forbidden Forest. There were thirteen stops along the course and at each stop they had to answer a question. If answered correctly the champions revealed a shorter path, if they were incorrect, they did not answer correctly, they went the long way around. Miss Delacour was the winner for this round, followed by Mister Diggory, Mister Krum and finally Mister Potter.

“Dangerous creatures were the name of the game in the fourth task. There were four keys and four boxes hidden within a swamp. Each key and box were guarded by a magical creature, including a horned serpent and a Quintaped. Due to the dangers of the Quintaped and the nature of swamps, only Harry Potter managed to use the artifacts hidden in the boxes and open the stone table in the center of the swamp to collect the chest that would reveal secrets for the fifth task.”

Bagman took a drink from the glass next to him. “The fifth task was performed in four different arenas and each of these arenas was up in the air. The champions had to survive a timed dueling challenge, traverse an island maze, fly a broom course and trust in a magical flying animal. All of our champions did well here but none quite as well as Miss Delacour, though young Harry Potter’s surprise animagus transformation was a good try.

“Finally, just last month, our champions braved the freezing cold of the sixth task. Each had to make their way up a mountain in the middle of a snow storm, finding keys to open their way. Luck was on the side of our youngest competitor for this challenge; he finished seconds before Mister Krum.” 

Bagman let the audience cheer for their champions as he took a breath. He loved the attention but it was hard work talking for so long. “After the six tasks, Mister Potter is in first with 235 points and will enter the final challenge first. Mister Krum is in second with 231 points and will enter five minutes after the final task begins. Third place goes to Hogwarts and Mister Diggory. He has an accumulated total of 221 points and will begin the final task eight minutes after mister Potter. Finally, Miss Delacour, with 198 points will enter the final challenge ten minutes after it begins. 

“If the Headmasters would join me, we will reveal the field for the final task,” Bagman waved for the Headmasters to step forward. 

Albus Dumbledore, Olympe Maxime and Igor Karkaroff stepped forward and as one pointed their wands at the center of the stands. “Revelio,” they cast as one and before the eyes of hundreds of fans a pyramid formed.

“As you can see, the final field of play is a pyramid.” Bagman continued, “They will enter one by one and will then have to make their way through a maze of corridors and traps, all in the hopes of making it to the center of the pyramid first. The first to reach the center will find the Triwizard cup and will be named as the winner of the first Triwizard championship to be held in over a century. The champion that wins will have their name go down in history, forever remembered for their skill, bravery, knowledge and power.”

Sirius stood and waved his wand as he did before every task. Large mirrors rose into the air to hover around the stadium. Four smaller mirrors also rose but stopped a few feet off the ground directly in front of the open portal leading into the pyramid. 

The students and guests in the audience went wild. They knew what this meant, they would be able to see all the action despite the closed building that was the location of this event. One would think this would not surprise them after watching so many other events over mirrors but witches and wizards could be dense. 

“Good show, Lord Black!” Bagman shouted once more. “As you can see ladies and gentlemen, you will be able to see all the action thanks to the brilliance and donation of Lord Black and Professor Lupin.” Percy cleared his throat behind Bagman, and the former keeper knew what that meant. “And here come the champions. For the last time, let me introduce you to your competitors. First, from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic is Fleur Delacour, a feisty Veela from France.” The blonde witch waved to the crowd and bowed her head. As always, she was kitted out in a blue uniform with her school’s crest on the front and her name on the back. 

“Next, from Durmstrang Institute for Magical Learning we have Viktor Krum, internationally renowned seeker for Bulgaria,” Viktor, adorned in red, stepped up beside Fleur and nodded to each section of the crowd. “From Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry is Cedric Diggory. He is a promising seeker for his house team,” Cedric joined the others, dressed in his house colors, and waved both arms, making sure to turn and look at each section around him.

“Lastly, also from Hogwarts, we have Harry James Potter, the Boy-who-Lived and the only seeker who seems to be able to give mister Krum a challenge.” Unlike his fellow champions, he was not wearing his regular school colors. The judges had commented that having two champions wearing red was or could be confusing, because of this they asked/assigned Harry a new color. For the last few tasks, he wore green instead of his usual crimson, Draco loved it. Harry joined the other champions, standing beside Viktor, giving a short wave and nod to the crowd.

“Welcome champions,” Bagman continued. “You know what awaits you. Mister Potter, you may begin when the cannon sounds.”

As it often did when certain people were in charge of sounding the cannon, it went off early. A chuckle went through the crowd as Bagman turned and glared at Argus Filch. What only the twins knew, was that the man lit the cannon early on purpose. 

“Good luck, Harry,” Cedric smiled.

“Do not think that this extra time will allow you to beat me,” Fleur winked.

“You best hurry if you think you can get to the cup before me.” Viktor nodded toward the pyramid, “Five minutes is not much time. Or should I say four minutes and fifty seconds?”

Harry shook his head, chuckling. “See you at the end,” he jogged toward the entrance, but paused to look back at them, “be careful in there.”

…

Harry Potter moved through the pyramid corridors carefully. Something told him it was going to be one of those days. 

When he woke that morning, he had the unmistakable feeling that things were going to go ridiculously bad at some point before the sun set. It was always possible that he could be wrong, it had happened before. This time however, his feeling of foreboding was ten times worse.

Harry had spent the day jumping at shadows to the point that his friends were sick of him and his paranoia. Fred and George had made it their mission in life to make him laugh, while Draco and Fay thought it best to irritate him with their constant arguing. Neville had been sympathetic and supportive; reminding him that they were there to support him and that he had been training for whatever was to come.

Unfortunately, his paranoia set off Hermione’s pessimism. The brunette knew what was coming later that day. The final task. She also knew that since there had been no real attempt on his life, save that clearly unplanned explosion in the fifth task, this had to be it. She knew, just as Harry suspected, that Voldemort was going to make his move tonight. Now, none of them actually knew it was Voldemort, they didn’t have evidence, but Voldemort, and his few cronies, were the only ones who would want him dead. 

It didn’t matter what he did throughout the day, he always felt like he was just about to be attacked. He went to breakfast waiting for poison. He spent the afternoon trying to relax but unable to because of what was coming. The worst part of it was that he didn’t know if he was going to be the only target. Would someone else die because Voldemort wanted him dead? Would it be Voldemort himself that attacked or someone helping him? Which Voldemort would it be? The shade or the one with Theo’s father? 

Lunch had been surprisingly relaxing. For some reason, having Sirius, Remus, Severus, Narcissa and Aria eating with him and his friends allowed him to relax; perhaps it was because he knew that with them around, he would not have to save himself. 

Once again, the tournament organizers had decided to throw a special meal for the champions and their families. This time it was an early dinner. The seventh and final task was to begin at six that evening so dinner that evening began at four. Harry had as relaxing a meal as was possible when Sirius was involved. Narcissa tried to be positive and loving while she threw Sirius irritated looks. Severus was a silent wall of protection and sarcasm. Remus was amused. 

The other champions were just as nervous as Harry. The last time they had a meal like this they were shoved into an arena with a dragon. It seemed the only people who were relaxed were the ministry people. Even the headmasters seemed on edge.

“Breathe,” he whispered to himself. “You are going to be fine. Just remember, Egyptian pyramids are traditionally filled with traps to deter those who weren’t meant to enter.” 

Harry had spent a lot of time talking to Bill about his job. Being a curse breaker sounded like a really amazing job. Challenging and exciting. Bill had been more than willing to tell him all about his experiences while working in the tombs of Egypt. The thing that he always stressed was that not even the floor was safe inside the pyramids because Egyptian wizards were more paranoid than British pure bloods.

He kept his eyes on the floor at his feet; any change in color or level, he stepped over or around. Coming to an intersection, Harry paused and took a deep breath. So far so good. He had only run into one trap; a fog that inverts the ground and the ceiling; lucking, Harry knew just what to do, hold your breath and keep going forward.

“Point me, Triwizard cup,” Harry cast. His wand spun quickly and then slowed, finically stopping pointing through the wall. Harry rolled his eyes, the spell just showed the direct path, no matter if there were walls in the way. He could, however, guess which path to take based on which went more in the direction of the cup. So, he turned left. By his estimation, he would need to take a right next if he had a choice. 

When he was halfway down the hall, a wall fell down directly in front of him. He whirled, only to find yet another wall up behind him. The ground beneath his feet began to shake, and then the walls started closing in on him. 

Harry swore under his breath and started studying the walls. There had to be a way to stop it. Unfortunately, the wall was covered in runes Harry had yet to study. “Point me Triwizard cup,” he cast again and watched where the wand indicated. He took a quick look at the approaching walls and pointed his wand directly at the wall in front of him, the one closest to the cup. “Bombarda Maxima,” Harry said with strength and conviction, hoping beyond hope that he could destroy the wall before he was squished. Technically he would be port keyed out before that but he didn’t want to go out like that.

The wall in front of him cracked and some of the stone fell through but the whole wasn’t nearly big enough for him yet. He cast another bombarda, this one slightly to the left where the cracks were largest and the stone less secure. A third bombarda opened the whole enough for his head to fit through and he was running out of time. “BOMBARDA MAXIMA,” he screamed, knowing that if this didn’t open the wall enough, he would have lost the contest. 

A large chunk of stone fell through to the corridor on the other side and Harry dove through after it, tucking and rolling to protect his head. Rolling to a crouch, he looked over his shoulder just in time to see the moving walls meet in the corridor he just escaped.

“You have done well to come this far, Harry Potter, but to go any further, you must answer a riddle correctly.” 

Harry found himself locked in a room with a Sphinx. Behind the magnificent creature was a hallway, one that obviously led to the Triwizard cup, to Harry’s right, was a hallway with very little floor. There were pillars running the length of the hall. It looked like he would have to jump from pillar to pillar if he was forced to go that way. 

“If you answer incorrectly, you will be at my mercy.”

The young man bowed slightly, keeping his eyes on the Sphinx. “I am ready and hope that I have the knowledge to honor you with a correct answer.”

“He has manners,” she mused, looking down at her paw. “The person who makes it has no need for it. The person who buys it has no use for it. The person who uses it neither sees nor feels it. What is it?” The sphinx asked calmly, her face impassive.

Harry felt a shiver run down his spine at the riddle. Of all the riddles that could have been asked of him, this was the most ominous. He knew the answer, he had Luna to thank for that. She had asked it of him only yesterday. What gave him pause was the feeling of dread he had been feeling all day. “It is a coffin,” he whispered just loud enough for her to hear him. 

“You are correct, Harry Potter.” The Sphinx rose to her feet and stepped to the side so that she was no longer blocking his path. “My people know of you, child of destiny,” she said as he drew even with her.

Harry gulped and turned to face her. “It seems everyone knows of me,” he sighed. “I wish they didn’t but I know there is nothing I can do to change it.”

“Accepting what is will make you stronger in the end.” Her voice was soft and faraway. “There are two paths ahead of you. One will take you into years of pain and leave the wizarding world in destruction. The other will bring this country into an age of prosperity.” She sat down and looked him directly in the eye. “The first is easier in the here and now but will leave you destroyed. The second will be hard and will challenge everything you are but will see the end in short order.”

“Do you have advice for me?”

“When you hear the screams, do not look back.”

Harry frowned, that would be hard. He had a ‘saving people thing,’ as Hermione liked to say. Hearing someone in need and not reacting would be incredibly hard for him because his first instinct would be to go help. Thinking about it, he realized that here, inside the pyramid, if he heard screams, he could ignore it because they were all being monitored and all wore emergency port keys to pull them out if they were severely injured or incapacitated. 

That was it. If he heard one of his competitors scream tonight, he couldn’t help them. If he helped them, it would somehow make things worse for him in the long run. He looked up, “Thank you. I will keep your words in mind,” he bowed his head and jogged forward. He could do this.

Down the next corridor, Harry skipped over seven traps on the floor and ducked under two others that he wasn’t sure how he detected. 

Turning the next corner, Harry came face to face with a terror too terrible to believe. He knew it wasn’t real. It was impossible. Hermione was lying there, beaten, broken on the floor. Blood pouring from multiple wounds covering her slim body.

“Ridiculous,” Harry gulped but nothing happened. He blinked and concentrated. “I need to make it funny,” he reminded himself. “Ridiculous,” he repeated but this time he thought hard about how to make that funny. The Hermione on the floor changed, instead of dead, she was dressed as a mummy, pretending to rise from the dead and scaring the crap out of Ron.

“Never want to see that again,” he whimpered and pushed himself to move forward. 

Pushing through the door behind the boggart, Harry saw the end of the tournament. The Triwizard cup sat on a table just wide enough to hold it. He scanned the room but saw nothing else. The floor looked clear, completely flat and all the same color. It couldn’t be that easy. 

Slowly, he made his way across the floor, his wand at the ready. With each careful step he expected to trigger the next trap but nothing ever came. In less time than it should have taken, Harry was standing at the cup. 

The table was clear, no runes to indicate that it was guarded. He reached slowly for the cup and paused. It was too easy.

That was when he heard the scream. 

Harry closed his eyes, took a breath and grabbed the Triwizard cup, activating the port key attached to it.

…

Viktor Krum wanted to win.

He knew that he probably never should have entered this tournament in the first place because it could have ended his career. Now that it was almost over and he had no other choice, he may as well come out on top. Though, with the way things were going, he didn’t think that was going to happen.

It would take a lot of luck and quick movement to keep up with Potter. The kid was good; he may not know as much as they did, but he was not the academic Fleur and Cedric were either. What Harry lacked in knowledge he made up for with power, instinct and luck. 

It was never a good idea to discount luck.

A seeker relied on luck all the time. The snitch moved completely randomly and sometimes the only way to catch it was to guess which way it was going to jerk next. Harry and Viktor understood this in a way the others didn’t. Diggory may know a little about it, being a seeker, but Viktor had no idea how good he was as a seeker so he couldn’t say if the other champion really knew what a seeker was. 

This was not his type of challenge, this was a challenge he was sure Fleur and Cedric would do well with, they were intellectual after all. Viktor liked when he could rely on his strength, speed and reflexes. The corridors of the pyramid were lined with traps, false floors, stunners shot from the walls, blinding lights, disorienting smoke, and more. He didn’t know much about the Egyptian wizards of old so he didn’t even know what to look for. 

Viktor swore violently when he triggered yet another trap, “I should really start looking at the floor,” he grumbled. This time, the floor was disappearing tile by tile. With a flying leap he jumped to the next section that was still solid only to have it begin to crumble as well. Every time he took a step, the floor began to fall, so he kept moving. He flicked his wand and froze the falling floor in front of him, hoping it would hold until he got to solid footing.

He let out a shocked chuckle when the floor below him was no longer crumbling and fell to the floor, unconscious.

…

Cedric Diggory was actually kind of enjoying himself. Being inside a pyramid like this made him think he was some sort of adventurer searching for ancient artifacts. He knew he wasn’t going to win this, Harry had too much of a head start, Krum was too determined and Fleur had too much to prove. At this point, he would rather enjoy himself and maybe learn something, than get himself hurt trying to win a tournament that was never his to win. 

His choices in the pyramid hadn’t gone well so far either. He had found two dead ends and had walked through a disorientation mist that got him turned around. So, instead of stressing, he was going to enjoy himself, and he was thinking about changing his career path to curse breaking. 

The Hufflepuff walked around the next corner and paused. Before him was a pit instead of a hallway. The pit was filled with spikes. To cross the pit, there were pillars just wide enough for a person to stand on. If he was careful, he could jump from pillar to pillar and make it across to the room beyond. 

Cedric took a breath, closing his eyes to center himself. When he opened his eyes, he took one step.

“Stupefy.”

Cedric Diggory fell unconscious on the stone floor of the pyramid.

…

Fleur Delacour intended to win this competition. This was her chance to show that she was not only just as good as the guys, but she was better. She was a proud Veela and she would not go down without a fight. 

Harry Potter was good for someone his age. Merlin, he was good for a wizard of any age but that didn’t mean she couldn’t beat him. His only real advantage at the moment was the fact that he had a ten-minute head start. 

Viktor Krum was not who she had originally thought he was. She figured he was just another dumb quidditch player. His physicality did not surprise her at all. His power did. In all honesty, she thought both he and Harry had more innate power than she did and that was saying something. At least she hadn’t guessed his intelligence incorrectly. 

The last of her competitors was the least surprising to her. Her first impression was exceptionally accurate. He was a good student, one of the best in his year but not inordinately powerful. She assumed he was smart, through study and hard work, and had been right. Had she taken this tournament seriously, she could have beaten him easily at almost every turn.

Now, she was going to show them exactly who she was. The third and fifth tasks had been her best because she had been confident in herself and her abilities in those tasks. She was going to do the same today. They would see she was more than she had shown.

Fleur knew she was doing well. She was flying through the maze of corridors and identifying traps before they could catch her up. This was all about logic and observation and she was owning it. 

She turned down a hallway only for the way ahead to suddenly disappear when a wall dropped from the ceiling. A second thud told her the way back was blocked too. Instantly, her eyes went to the walls on either side of her. 

The Veela smirk, this was going to be easy. No one knew this, but she wanted to work at Gringotts and one of the best ways to do that was to be knowledgeable about tombs. Fleur spent a great deal of her free time studying up on ancient wizarding civilizations and the Egyptians were her specialty. The runes on the left wall were nonsense, the ones on the right held the secret. 

She pressed the first three runes in the correct order and then moved to touch the last. This last one would stop the moving doorways and open them. 

“Crucio,” she heard an instant before the pain hit.

Fleur Delacour screamed

... 

Harry felt the pull of the port key but was disoriented when he wasn’t immediately released just outside the Pyramid. He had become accustomed to the tournament port keys and could land on his feet without making a fool of himself because of how short the ride was. This was not the same. He continued to spin long after he should have finished. Something told him he would not be landing on the castle grounds.

Voldemort had made his move, just as they suspected.

When the spinning finally stopped, Harry was dumped unceremoniously on the ground. He groaned in pain as he had landed directly on the cup before rolling to the side. Pushing himself into a sitting position, he noticed he was in a graveyard. “This is not good,” he said under his breath as he stood clumsily due to the dizziness and pain in his side; he probably had a cracked rib or two. 

“I have you just where I want you, Potter!”

Harry whirled, coming face to face with a man he had never seen before this. Before he could raise his wand to respond, he was hit by a stunner, falling unconscious at the base of an excavated grave marked for Thomas Riddle.

…

Consciousness returned to him gradually. Knowing that he was in trouble, Harry tried to remain still so as to convince his captor he was still unconscious while he took stock of the situation. His Holly wand was missing, that much he was absolutely certain of. The wand Luna had forced on him that morning, which was strapped to his left wrist was also missing, as was his holster. Luckily, he could still feel the press of the Aspen and Griffin tail feather wand that had once belonged to his many times great grandfather. If he survived this, he would have to thank Sirius for insisting on him carrying an additional wand strapped to his ankle.

“I know you’re awake, Potter,” someone said with an odd mix of cheer and disgust. Whomever it was appeared in front of him and forced his chin up. “You can’t trick me. I want you awake for this. Tonight, you and I will bring back the most powerful wizard of all time. You and I will be responsible for bringing order to this world ruled by the weak and worthless. You and I will be revered for bringing about the reign of Lord Voldemort, though you won’t live long enough to see it.” He grinned evilly, “I am sorry to say you won’t make it out of this graveyard alive.”

Harry swallowed, trying to wet his dry mouth and throat, “Who are you?”

The man blinked, “You don’t know? I would have thought Longbottom would have told you all about the people who turned his parents into useless vegetables.” He shrugged, “Oh well, I guess I can tell you instead. It’s not like it matters since you will be dead in about half an hour. I am Barty Crouch.”

“I’ve met Barty Crouch, and you are not him.”

He shook his head, cackling, “That is my useless father. I disgraced him; you see. He hated me, treated me like rubbish and then had the audacity to be surprised when I sided with the Dark Lord. I was with the lovely lady Bellatrix, her buffoon of a husband and her witless brother-in-law the night the Longbottom’s were attacked. I so enjoyed hearing that bitch’s screams as I held her under the Cruciatus. It was a pity the witch placed a shield around her little whelp. I’m still not entirely sure how she managed to hold it even when she was unconscious.”

“I thought you died in prison?”

“Oh, so little Longbottom did talk about me,” he grinned again. “My mother loved me even if my father didn’t. She made him promise that he would get me out of Azkaban. She was dying so they visited me, and she and I switched places. Polyjuice really is a glorious thing. Did you know that if you die while under its influence, you die in that person’s form? The ministry got its body and I was ‘free.’ Well, as free as my father would allow.”

“I find it hard to believe that your ‘law and order’ father would allow you to roam free,” Harry hoped if he could keep the lunatic talking, someone would find them.

Barty gave him a look that said he was right, “My old man kept me under the Imperius curse for over a decade. He has been getting sick the last few years; he’s terminal,” that brought a glowing smile to the man’s face. “His failing health lowered the power he had over me so instead of him controlling me, I started controlling him. I was the one who made sure the world cup would take place in Britain. I was the one who changed Bones’s security plans for the event. I was the one who put your name in the Goblet of Fire. I was the one who planned this all out, and now I can finally bring my lord back to full power.”

“It is time, Barty,” a wizened voice called from behind the man. 

Barty turned and picked up what looked like a mix between a baby and an ancient man. “Of course, Master. It won’t be long now.” Without ceremony or hesitation, Barty bumped the creature into the cauldron with a quiet splash. “You are going to love this, Potter.”

So much for delaying him, Harry thought, dread boiling in his stomach.

“I hope you enjoy the show, little Potter.” With that, the man returned his attention to the giant cauldron sitting between the headstones. A flick of his wand had bones from the exhumed grave floating toward the bubbling potion, "Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!” he shouted into the heavens as he dropped the bones into the cauldron.

Barty pointed his wand at his left hand, “Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed, you will revive your master.” A moment later, he blasted off two of his fingers from his left hand allowing them to drop into the potion as well. With a quick pass of his wand, he cauterized the wounds, not even flinching at the violent act. 

The maniac flicked his wand at the statue that was holding Harry, the arms of the figure loosening. Before Harry could even think to act, he was petrified and floated toward the potion, “Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe." Barty pulled a knife from his cloak and sliced open Harry’s arm and held it over the potion. Drop by drop, the lunatic counted as forty-nine drops of blood fell into the potion. Absentmindedly, Barty sealed the wound and floated Harry back to his statue prison, his attention completely on the cauldron that had begun to shake and produce a sickeningly green light. 

With a massive explosion, the cauldron burst apart and rained liquid down on everything within ten feet of it. In the center of that explosion stood a naked man with a face shaped more like a snake than a man. His skin was white as snow, his eyes blood red. He had no hair and no nose. Harry would not have been surprised if he had a forked tongue just like a serpent.

“I am resurrected,” he said in a breathy voice that sent chills down Harry’s spine. “Robe me, my servant.”

Barty scrambled to his feet, retrieving a robe from behind a stone wall and draped it over the man’s shoulders. “It is good to see you whole, my lord. Is it time to call the others?”

“Give me your arm, Barty,” he demanded, holding his own out. The simpering lunatic gleefully rolled up his sleeve to reveal Voldemort’s dark mark. Voldemort took the arm in his left hand, “I think we can fix this first, since you have done so well for me.” He flicked his wand and created silver fingers to replace the ones Barty sacrificed to resurrect the megalomaniac.

“Thank you, my Lord,” he sighed, “I could have waited if you deemed it necessary.”

“And that is why you are rewarded first, young Barty.” The dark lord then placed the tip of his wand on the man’s tattoo and even from his position, he could see the ink darken and the snake shift menacingly.

A matter of minutes later, the pops of Apparition filled the air. Harry was not happy to have heard five pops. Voldemort seemed enraged by the number.

“Is this all?” he asked incredulously. “It seems my followers do not understand the true price of betraying me.” He paced in front of the five new arrivals, all in black with masks covering their faces. Two of those masks were much more intricate than the others. “The price of failure, of betraying me, is death. Death like all the other pathetic life forms of this world. We are coming into a new era. You should be prepared my servants; a reckoning is coming.”

Harry gulped and shifted as much as he could, reaching down toward his book as he lifted his leg.

Voldemort whirled, his wand flashing, “Crucio,” he shouted and one of the masked figures fell to his knees. “Where were you, Selwyn?”

The man gasped, “Had I seen any sign of you I would have been at your side in an instant. As it is, I have been ensuring that you had the wealth you deserved should you return.”

“Didn’t see the signs?” Voldemort seemed flabbergasted by the man’s response. “Didn’t see the signs? Barty saw the signs and he was being held hostage by his father. He was held under the Imperius curse for years, but he fought back so that he could resurrect me.” He looked to another masked man, this one falling to his knees before a spell could be fired.

“Many apologies, My Lord,” the man bowed his head. “I know what you are capable of, but I lacked the skill to understand what was needed. I am not a young man anymore.”

“I know exactly what you are capable of, Avery,” Harry thought the kneeling man might have flinched at the dark lord’s use of his surname. “I am well aware that you are not an intellectual. You followed Nott around like a puppy in school, so it is no wonder you did not come to me. I do applaud you for not following that traitor Nott now.” He walked a few steps away before whirling back to face the man, “you will still need to be punished. Crucio.”

He did not hold the torture curse long this time. “I grow bored. I will deal with the rest of you when we rule this country.” Instead of returning to his minions, he finally faced Harry.

Harry gulped; he was much creepier to look at when he was looking directly at you. 

“Harry Potter, we meet again.” He walked up the statue, “Your mother won’t be here to save you this time, nor will her protection. Do you know why I had to use your blood to resurrect me? In all honesty, there were half a dozen others I could have used, Dumbledore, one of the Longbottoms, Madam Bones, anyone who opposes me would have worked. But I needed to use your blood so that I could finally destroy you,” the dark lord trailed a finger down Harry’s cheek and then decided to lick him too, just to prove that the protections that had saved Harry three years ago were no longer in effect. “You are mine, Harry Potter. I will destroy you.”

Harry was just about to wrap his fingers around his spare wand when the stone arms holding him in place abruptly let go, causing Harry to fall to the moist ground in a heap. 

“Give him his wand, Barty,” Voldemort said casually as he walked a few feet away. “It wouldn’t be very sporting of me to kill him when he was unarmed.”

Barty tossed both of Harry’s wand holsters at him, which he quickly strapped onto his arms before allowing his Holly wand to settle into his hand.

“You surprise me, Potter,” Voldemort mused. “Not many light wizards will carry a second wand. They tend to think it is a sign of darkness or something. Perhaps you aren’t a complete loss. I might let you live if you give me an unbreakable vow to follow my every order.”

“In your dreams, Tom.” Harry growled, “I will never follow the man who killed my parents. I would never follow a man who thinks himself better than everyone else while lying about his parentage to gain supporters.”

“What are you talking about?” 

“I know you are no pureblood. Your father was a muggle and your mother had so little magic she was considered a squib. For all intents and purposes, you are muggle born,” Harry grinned viciously.

The Dark Lord laughed. “You know nothing. I am of the purest blood our society can produce. I am the direct descendent of Salazar Slytherin. I am the only one capable of ruling. You will bow down, or you will die.”

“I chose to fight,” Harry said before casting a silent blasting curse at the dark lord. Rule one of Severus Snape's lessons on dueling dark lords and death eaters, there are no rules, strike when they least expect you to. 

Voldemort flicked his wand, deflecting the curse, “You shouldn’t have done that,” he growled as Harry started running. “Surround him but do not attack,” he ordered. “He is MINE!”

Rule number two: if you are outnumbered, run.

Harry ran, dodging around headstones only to come face to face with one of the masked men. He barely noticed the man did not fire a curse as he changed directions. Once again, he found himself cut off by a death eater. It seemed they would not let him escape.

Whirling, Harry cast another blasting curse at the dark lord, and just like the time before, it was deflected. 

Rule number three: if running doesn’t work, aim to kill. Your opponent will be trying to kill you, so you have to do the same.

“Crucio,” Voldemort said calmly, pointing his wand at Harry. 

At the last second, Harry jumped behind a head stone. Rule number four: unforgivable can’t be blocked magically. Dodge or put something physical between you and the spell.

“You are quick, boy. But are you quick enough to survive me?”

Harry was hit in the side by what must have been a banishing spell as he was pushed from behind the grave marker right into another of Voldemort’s Crucio spells. 

Pain. Unimaginable pain. 

Harry had thought he understood what pain was, but he had been wrong. His whole body was on fire, his whole body calling out in excruciating pain. 

He knew he screamed but he didn’t really care. When the curse was let up, he slumped in relief. 

“How was that, Potter? Did you enjoy it?”

Harry panted and pushed himself to his feet shakily. He did not answer, he just glared. Rule number five: don’t fall into the trap of conversation. If you start talking, your opponent will use your distraction against you.

“You know, I just realized I have performed two of the three unforgivable curses on you.” He grinned maliciously, “Why don’t we make it a complete set? Imperio.”

Harry felt his mind go fuzzy. 

_Bow to your lord_ , a kind voice suggested. ‘Why would I do that?’ Harry wondered.

 _Bow, Harry Potter._ ‘No, I don’t think I will. I don’t bow to anyone. My godfather is a Black and Blacks don’t bow.’

 _I said BOW_ , the voice shouted this time.

“NO,” Harry screamed aloud and felt the controlling curse fall away. “I will not bow to you now or ever.”

“Then you die, AVADA KEDAVRA!”

“DIFFINDO,” Harry said at the same time the killing curse was cast.

Voldemort’s green curse collided with Harry’s orange curse. A blast of air pushed out from the impact zone, sending the watching death eaters to the ground. Instead of dissipating, the spells created a link between the two wands, a line of gold light from one wand to the other. The sounds of battle disappeared, replaced instead by the beautiful sounds of phoenix song, sending calm and hope through Harry’s very soul. In his hand his wand shook violently with the power of the combined spells; he wondered if he would be able to hold his wand for long. Despite the blinding light between them, Harry could see Voldemort’s hand shaking just as violently as his own and it gave him some relief to know that he was not the only one struggling. Additionally, a domed wall formed around them, making it impossible for the death eaters to interfere. Harry could hear them calling, their confusion evident even though the dome was muffling the sounds from outside its edges. 

“Do not Interfere,” Voldemort growled. “The boy is mine.”

Then it changed. The thread between the wands formed golden beads all along the line and they shifted this way and that. When Harry felt like he could no longer hold it, the beads got closer and his wand heated in his hand, so hot he worried it would burn his hand or burst into flame. Somehow, Harry knew that to survive this, he had to push the beads toward Tom. If he didn’t all bets were off.

With every fiber of his being, with all the mental strength he possessed, Harry pushed his magic into his wand and along the connection, pushing the beads toward his adversary. Slowly but surely, the beads traveled down the light thread toward the dark lord. Sweat formed on Voldemort’s brow as he attempted to fight back, but Harry would not let himself be beaten here; he had far too much to lose. 

“I will kill you, Potter!”

“Not if I can help it, Tom,” Harry gasped out and with one final push, he was able to overpower the older man. The beads of light connected with his wand and the song that had been filling Harry with hope was replaced with screams. Something floated out of Voldemort’s wand and if he wasn’t mistaken, it was a shadowy representation of fingers. More screams, filled with pain erupted, until finally another shadow form started rising from the white wand. A head, the shoulders and finally the entire body of a man Harry had never seen before.

“Hold on, kid. You can beat him back. Beat the wizard who killed me just because I happened to be there.”

Harry didn’t know what to say, all he could do was nod. One day, he would learn the man’s name if he could. 

Not long after another person started to form between screams. When her form was finished, she turned to him, a sad smile on her face. “We shouldn’t have to ask this of you, but hold on Harry Potter. You might just be the only one who can stop him. I believe in you.” She drifted to his left and settled there, “There are others coming and we will do all we can to help you.”

Someone else did come almost directly after the witch. A gasping sob escaped him as tears rolled down his face as his mother formed and settled in front of him. “I am so proud of you,” she reached a transparent hand to him and cupped his cheek. “Hold on just a bit longer, your father is coming.”

All he could do was nod, his throat closed due to the overwhelming emotions rolling through him. Harry watched, studying every piece of his father as the spirit grew out of the dark lord’s wand. He had been told many times how much he looked like his father; he had seen it in pictures. It was another thing entirely to see the man in real life. He really did look just like his dad.

“You are one amazing kid,” his father settled beside his wife. “I wish I could be there to see you grow up.” James Potter looked toward the man who had killed him all those years ago, “There isn’t much time left. Eventually he will drop the connection and the backlash will be devastating to you.”

“Instead you are the one who will have to break the connection,” Lily Potter stared at her son with love and concern. “We will hold him, but it will only be for a moment,” his mother smiled sadly.

“When you break the connection, you have to run. Get to the cup and it will take you back to Hogwarts.” 

“Do you understand, sweetheart?”

Harry nodded, but deep down he knew he had to change the plan slightly. He couldn’t let Voldemort escape here but he couldn’t beat him on his own. Harry needed help. “I love you,” he managed to whisper to his parents for the first time in his memory.

“We believe in you, son.” James Potter winked, “end this.”

“We love you, Harry. NOW, LET GO!” his mother shouted as the spirits raced toward the resurrected dark lord. 

Instead of running for the cup, Harry ran toward Voldemort too. He was disoriented by the backlash of the spell connection and blinded by his past victims, giving Harry the perfect opportunity to sneak in. “Accio cup!” he shouted and reached out his empty hand. He wrapped his wand arm around the Dark Lord at the same moment his hand wrapped around the handle of the Triwizard cup, activating the port key one more time.

**The North Sea**

It was raining again. He couldn’t remember the last time it wasn’t raining. Walter Brennan had wanted to go into law enforcement all his life but found that he wasn’t great at it. He didn’t like taking orders, felt stifled by procedure, and hated paperwork. In books, upholders of the law were brave heroes who got the girl after a harrowing chase that ended with the bad guy put away for good. Unfortunately, reality and fiction were nothing alike. He couldn’t get a girl because he always had to cancel dates. He had never followed the bad guy, shooting off spells while protecting innocents. More often than not, at least in his experience, the bad guy got off on some technicality. 

All of this culminated in him being exceptionally low ranking. The lowest ranked Aurors who had some seasoning had the worst job imaginable. Those officers did rotations at Azkaban prison. 

Not all prisoners were held with contact to the damned beasts the prison was known for. Some, the low-level criminals, had human guards. Additionally, Dementors couldn’t deliver food, so there had to be some wizards around to ensure the scum of the earth didn’t die of starvation, not that anyone would care if they did. His only solace was that the people held within the cells were suffering far more that their victims had.

He jumped slightly as lightning struck. Walter knew he should be used to it but there was something about the fortress that made it impossible to ever become truly comfortable with anything, even the regularity of rain and thunderstorms. This was his third stint on the island, three months in. No guard remained on the island permanently. Their limited human staff took six months on the island and six months off to attempt to keep them from going insane or committing suicide; more than one former guard had succumbed to intense depression due to over exposure to the constant cold and lack of cheer. When off the island, they were evaluated, many were reassigned. As far as Walter was aware, the longest anyone had remained on Azkaban detail was six years.

“It’s time for the next walk through,” Higgins sighed. “It’s your turn to hit the high security ward.”

Walter scowled but nodded, there were twelve of them on the island at all times. They did walk-throughs of each ward every day, after dinner, to retrieve dinners and ensure that no one had died that day. The guards worked the checks on rotation so that no one had to visit the high security ward too often; it was hard to walk through that ward for two reasons. The first was the most obvious, the Dementors and their effects were strongest there. The second reason was the prisoners themselves. Individuals locked in the high security ward were the worst of the worst. Mass murderers, baby killers, torturers, and most notably, the Dark Lord’s most fanatical followers. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Walter sighed as he slowly pushed to his feet. “Let’s hope the crazy bitch bit the dust.”

Higgins chuckled humorlessly, “I get the feeling she is going to outlive us all. Did you know I actually saw her licking the dark mark the other day while grinning in that mental way she has?”

“How she got away with not getting kissed is beyond me,” Marek said as he too got to his feet. “That one certainly deserved it.”

“She’s a Black,” Walter grumbled, “what did you expect?”

“Wish I had that kind of backing,” Marek scowled. 

“Make sure you have the soup and chocolate nice and hot when I get back. I’ll need it after dealing with that lot.” Walter had a feeling Marek would not be back after he returned to the mainland in a few weeks. Marek had deteriorated quite quickly this time.

The high security ward was on the top floor of the prison and the roof leaked terribly. He always knew he was there not because he had walked up four flights of stairs but because the moaning was more than twice as loud. Some of the prisoners just moaned, others talked. When the Dementors were at their most concentrated, you could hear the screams on the ground floor.

“But I’m Lucius Malfoy… Imperius…” Walter looked into the illustrious Malfoy’s cell and shook his head. The man still couldn’t seem to come to terms with the fact that he hadn’t managed to buy his way out of jail this time. “I will destroy Fudge for this!”

“Sure you will, Malfoy,” Walter banished his empty plate back to the kitchens and moved on. The next six were moaners. Four death eaters, a serial arsonist and a man who used to catch young witches and wizards and gift them to Greyback on the night of the full moon.

“How are you this stormy evening, Walter?”

Augustus Rockwood was an odd one. He was perhaps the sanest one left since Black’s release. The former Unspeakable had kept most of his facilities despite being locked up for thirteen years. Many thought it was because he was often heard reciting potions recipes and rune arrays. If one kept the mind focused on something that was neither happy or depressing, the dementors had less effect on the mind. It made sense that Rockwood would know that.

“I am doing better than you,” once again he banished an empty tray back to the kitchen. 

“That goes without saying,” the overly skinny man tilted his head, “You get enough food and aren’t subjected to hours of dementors pacing at your door. Nor do you have to listen to Lucy and the other moaners.”

“He changed his tone at all?”

“Wants to kill his ex-wife almost as much as he wants to ruin Fudge.”

“Sounds like a good way to die if you ask me, those Blacks are nuts.”

“They are indeed,” he sighed, “until next time then?”

Walter didn’t respond, he never did when Rockwood asked that. Next were the Lestrange brothers. Neither said anything. They weren’t moaners either from what he could tell. He didn’t think they had said a word to anyone that wasn’t a prisoner since they were locked in their cages. 

“I am going to kill you,” Bellatrix Lestrange sat leaning against the door of her cell and then laughed. 

This was not new. Walter had yet to determine if she had grown crazier since her capture or if she had always been that crazy. “It’s going to be kind of hard when you are locked in there and I am out here.”

“I am going to cut you open from your groin to your neck and then I will rip your throat out with my teeth all while you scream for mercy.”

“Need I remind you that I have a wand and you have nothing but the rags on your shoulders?”

“He will come for me,” she licked her lips, “and then we will rule the world after laying waste to those who would oppose us.”

“I’d like to see them…”

His world exploded around him. 

The ceiling exploded, stone raining down around him as he stumbled back and hit the wall opposite the lunatic’s cell. He blinked and saw four men on brooms, floating above them. Dementors surrounded them but they did not attack.

“I see you remember me, my friends,” the man called with amusement. “I will allow you free reign if you allow me to free my most trusted supporters and aid in our destruction of my greatest enemies.”

Though he was disoriented, he set off the alarm, alerting the rest of the staff of the danger and then started killing. One of the broom riders had already scooped up Bellatrix so he aimed at the cells on either side, Mulciber was cut in two by cutting curse, Rabastan Lestrange lost an arm and a leg in the same way. A moment later Rabastan lost his life due to a piercing curse.

He saw Rockwood, Dolohov and Rodolphus lift off, having been handed brooms. Lucius Malfoy was on the back of the broom being piloted by Crabbe. Travers rode with Parkinson. 

Walter dispatched three other criminals, none of them known supporters of the Dark Lord, hoping that back up would arrive. 

Something hit him from behind and he went tumbling. He was pushed onto his back only to find Bellatrix Lestrange standing above him, a wicked looking knife clutched in her boney hand. “If you were going to kill one of them, it should have been my idiot husband,” she sneered. “I have been trying to get rid of him.”

Walter raised his want but was hit with a disarming spell from above, his wand went flying and he was left unarmed at the mercy of a madwoman. 

She crouched down, allowing the knife to trail down his chest without piercing his skin. “I told you I would kill you,” she whispered, her face utterly calm. With a violent jerk, she plunged the knife deep into his chest and pulled down, just as she had promised.

Walter screamed until he could scream no more. When backup arrived, all they could hear was the maniacal laughter of Bellatrix Lestrange as she was flown off the island that had been her prison for over a decade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully the next chapter will be complete and edited in the next few days or a week. I'm working on it.


End file.
